Ask Me To Stay
by PSGProductions271
Summary: Set pre-Season 2. McSwarek. Sam gets an offer to join Guns and Gangs. Will he accept or will a certain someone get in his way? Rated M, for the penultimate chapter only.
1. Chapter 1

**ASK ME TO STAY**

Hey there! This is my first fanfic in a long time, so go a little easy on me, please! I started this before S2 aired, but real life got in the way and I didn't get round to posting it until now. This is set after S1, and does not follow anything from S2. Updates will probably be on a weekly basis depending on how busy I am, but I'll try and update as often as possible. Hope you enjoy, and please remember to review, it really motivates me to write. Thank-you. x

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

Andy strolled into the foyer of the 15th, hand-in-hand with her boyfriend, Luke. He gave her a quick kiss goodbye and headed to his office, whilst she made for the locker room.

"Wow, Andy McNally, on time for parade. That must be a first," Sam said sarcastically, as he walked up to her, his signature grin plastered on his face, dimples and all.

"Ha-ha, very funny. Well, that's what happens when you have a gorgeous boyfriend to get up for every morning." She saw Sam's face fall, and felt a pang of guilt in her chest. He brushed past her to take his seat in the bullpen. _Way to go, Andy. You just had to mention Luke. _She shook her head at her stupidity and headed into the locker room to change into her uniform.

Walking into the locker room, she saw Traci and Gail already in their uniforms. She walked over to them.  
>"Hey Trace, how's Leo?" Traci turned to her, a smile creeping over her face as it often did when she talked about her son.<p>

"Leo's great, he loves having his father around. And Dex and I are actually getting along, for once. How about you? How does it feel, living it up in the suburbs with Mr. Perfect?" Andy pulled her uniform on, debating on how to answer. _I thought moving in with Luke would make everything right, but it has never felt more wrong. _

"It's great, Luke's great, everything's... great." She lied, as she finished getting dressed.

"You don't sound convinced." Gail said skeptically. Andy shrugged. She loaded her gun, put in the holster and slammed her locker shut. "Come on, we don't wanna be late." Andy followed the others out into the bullpen, where all the officers were gathering for Best's obligatory morning briefing.

Andy sat down next to Traci, and tried to catch Sam's eye across the room, but he just turned away to talk to Oliver. _Great, he's in a bad mood, thanks to me. This is gonna be a long day. _Andy sighed. She made small talk with Traci, until she heard the door to the room swing open. Best walked in, and the room fell silent.

"Alright, coppers, listen up. First of all, let me congratulate all of you on the successful operation at the Mermaid Lounge last week - the biggest bust in the 15th's history. Swarek, McNally, you did a great job." Andy looked down at the floor, a blush rising to her cheeks. Oliver clapped Sam on the back, as the rest of the precinct applauded, all except Luke, who was staring daggers at Sam. Sam glanced over at Andy, and gave her a small smile, which she returned. _Maybe he's not as mad at me as I thought._ "Okay, okay. Settle down." The squad room became silent again. "Also, a message from our wounded rookie, Officer Diaz – he thanks you all for the well wishes and gifts, and hopes to be back on shift soon. Now, even though that mission was a success, capturing Bergen was only the tip of the iceberg. We suspect there will be an insurgence of low-level dealers working their way up to take over his business. So, we need to be on full alert, and maintain a strong police presence out on the streets. Epstein, since Diaz is still on leave, you'll be out on patrol with Shaw. McNally, I want you on patrol too, with Swarek. Nash and Peck, I need you on the front desk."

"That's just great, a whole day with the Ice-queen." Traci muttered to Andy, who sniggered in return. _I'd take the Ice-queen over moody Swarek any day. _

"Alright, you have your assignments, get to it. Serve, protect, and keep your eyes open." Everyone dispersed and went to their respective assignments.

Sam headed over to his desk to chat with Jerry and Oliver. They had just started talking about last night's hockey game when they heard their boss's voice booming across the bullpen. "Swarek, my office, now!" Sam looked up to see Best calling him over.

"Uh-oh – what've you done this time, Sammy?" Oliver joked. Sam looked up to find Best still looking at him impatiently. He quickly went over to join him and they headed into his office.

Andy saw Sam head into Best's office. _I wonder what he wants with Sam. _She hurried over to the coffee machine to pick beverages for her and Sam. Luke came up behind her, reaching round her to pick up his coffee, brushing his hand along her side. She turned and gave him a sly smile.

"Looks like your boy's in trouble." Luke said, looking back towards Best's office. Andy rolled her eyes, and replied sarcastically.

"When isn't he?" _I hope it's nothing I did; I'd hate to get Sam in trouble. _ Quickly changing the subject, Andy asked, "So, will you be home for dinner tonight?"

"Unless a big case comes in, I should be, yeah. Look, I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately." _That's an understatement; I see more of Sam than I do you. Wow where did that come from?_  
>I'll make it up to you, I promise." He leaned and captured her lips with her own. She smiled into the kiss.<p>

Sam closed the door to Best's office, and turned to his boss with trepidation. "Take a seat, Sam." Best gestured to the seat in front of his office, but Sam shook his head.  
>"I'm alright, Sir, I'd rather stand." <em>I fidget when I'm nervous, I need to move around.<em> _What does he want? What could I have done? God, I feel like a fourth grader in the principal's office. _

"First off, I'd like to thank you for your work salvaging the operation at the Mermaid Lounge. We would not have brought Bergen down without you."

"Well, thank-you, Sir," Sam said, visibly relaxing. "I can't take all the credit though, it was a team effort." _I couldn't have done it without Andy. _

"Modest as always, Swarek." Sam turned to leave, but Best held him back. "That's not the only reason I called you in here." _Uh-oh, this doesn't sound good. _  
>"Do you remember what you told me six months ago, when I first convinced you to train a rookie after you were burned off the Anton Hill operation?" Sam shook his head, no, although he thought he knew where this was going. "You said that you would agree on one condition - that I let you know the minute a position in the Guns and Gangs division opened up. Well, I'm keeping my promise - they are looking for new operatives and you're at the top of their list."<p>

"Wow, I'm honored, sir. But things are very different to six months ago. I have a rookie now..."  
>"McNally is no longer on probation, and from what I've seen, she's perfectly capable of taking care of herself."<br>"I'm well aware of that, sir." _He's right, McNally doesn't need me anymore. She's a great cop; she has Squeaky Clean Callahan, why am I hanging on?_ "Still, I may need some time to think about this, Sir."

"What's there to think about, Sam? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I know how much you love undercover work, and this would mean you could do a lot more. It's better pay and benefits. There are plenty of officers out there," he pointed out towards the bullpen, "who would give up their first-born for an opportunity like this."  
>"I know sir." Sam replied, desperately racking his brain for reasons against accepting Best's proposal, whilst wondering why he wanted to.<br>"Then what's holding you back?" Best asked, although he thought he already knew. _You cannot wait forever for Andy, Swarek that ship has sailed._

"Can you just give me a day or two to decide?" Best sighed, realizing that Sam was struggling with this decision.

"Alright, I can give you until the end of shift today. But this is a onetime offer; a chance like this won't come around again."  
>"I understand. Thank-you, sir, I'll let you know what my decision is." Best nodded, and gestured to Sam that he was dismissed. Sam left Best's office in a daze. <em>What am I gonna do? This is what I've always wanted. But, if I leave, I'll never get my chance with Andy. <em>He looked up to see Andy and Luke in a lip lock. _Who am I kidding? Best is right, that ship is sailed. _

An irritated voice called out across the bullpen, causing the couple to jump apart. "McNally! Come on, we haven't got all day, step it up!" Sam said as he headed towards them.  
>"I was waiting for you." She said, rolling her eyes at Luke. Sam just gave her a blank look and headed out to the cruiser.<p>

"I gotta go. See you later?" Luke nodded and gave her a last peck on the lips. She picked up her and Sam's coffees and rushed out to the cruiser.

"Hey, be careful!" Luke called out to her retreating form. He took a sip of his own coffee, and headed into his office to tackle the mountain of paperwork littering his desk.

"Are you done making googly eyes at your boy, McNally?" Sam said as Andy met him at the squad car. She rolled her eyes as she handed him his coffee. Sam tossed something over to her. She caught it, and realized, as she opened her hands, that it was the keys to the squad car. "You're driving. Get in." She threw her bag in the back and climbed in the driver's seat. _Something must really be bothering him, if he's letting me drive. _She put the car in gear, and peeled out of the parking lot.

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><p>What did you think? Should I continue? Please let me know x<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Hey! Sorry this took a while to get posted, I had a major block on Chapter 4, and didn't want to post this until I'd worked through that, which I'm still doing, but hopefully it will be done soon.

Hope you enjoy this chapter, and please review, it makes me happy :) Thanks, x

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Sam and Andy were cruising around the streets in companionable silence, waiting for a call to come in. Sam was sat, slumped in the passenger seat, staring out the window, deep in thought. Andy kept stealing glances at him, becoming increasingly worried. _Something's really bothering him. I need to find out what it is, if only to ensure he can focus on the work when a call comes in. _

"Sam," Andy called, but he did not respond. She tried a few more times, finally resorting to swatting his arm. He spun round to look at her, and after seeing her smile, grabbed his arm in feigned hurt.

"Ouch, McNally, what was that for?" She could the slight smirk on his lips, and knew he wasn't really hurt.

"I was trying to get your attention," she replied jokily, before turning serious. "What's eating you, Sam; you're a million miles away." Sam's heart skipped a beat when he saw the concern in her eyes. _Get a grip, man._

"I'm fine," he lied, turning to stare out the window again. _Just drop it, Andy. I don't wanna have this conversation yet._

"Come on, Sam. I've been riding with you for six months, I know you better than that. What's going on?" Sam shrugged; trying to act like everything was fine.

"Does it have something to do with why Best called you into his office after parade?" She saw a flash of panic in his eyes, as he tried to slump further down in his seat. "What did he want?" Andy could see Sam debating on how to answer.

"He was just congratulating me again for my work on the Bergen case, that's all." Sam hoped she would leave it at that, but he knew Andy wasn't going to let this go; it's not in her nature.  
>"Oh. Is he giving you an award of some kind? You know, for bringing down Bergen, he was one of the most wanted guys in Toronto."<p>

"No, he's not... and even if he was, I wouldn't accept it, I'm no hero. Besides, it wasn't just me; I couldn't have done it without you..." Andy looked at him, surprise in her eyes. "and the rest of the team, of course." He ducked his head to avoid her gaze, a flush rising to his cheeks. Andy could see Sam was just digging himself deeper. He was clearly uncomfortable talking about this, so she decided to let the issue go, for now. They fell back into a comfortable silence as they continued to roam the streets. A few minutes later, the radio crackled into life.

"Stand by for the hotshot. We have a domestic disturbance in progress at 156 Kingston Apartment 3A."

"Light it up," Sam said, as he responded to dispatch, "15-05, responding, we're 10 minutes out." Andy flipped the siren on and sped off towards Downtown.

They arrived at the apartment block and pulled up outside. They saw that they needed to be buzzed in to gain entry, so they hit the button for 3A. Nobody answered over the intercom, but they could hear screaming. They tried the neighbor's apartment, who buzzed them in once they identified themselves as police. They took the stairs two at a time until they reached the 3rd floor. Sam knocked on the door loudly, and announced, "Police! Open up!" They could hear yelling coming from inside, and the sound of breaking furniture. "Stand back," Sam said to Andy, as he un-holstered his gun. He gave the door a swift kick and they entered, guns drawn. They saw a well-muscled man, over six feet tall standing over a smaller woman with a broken chair leg in his hand.

"Police, drop the weapon!" Sam shouted to the man. He turned to face them, with wide eyes. Andy could see the guy was coked out of his mind. The man started to advance towards them, the broken chair leg raised high in the air.

"Stop or I'll shoot!" Andy said, as Sam slowly made his way around the man to check on the woman, who was still lying on the floor. The man ignored Andy's demands and continued towards her. Sam could see Andy was in trouble, so after helping the woman off the floor, he tackled the man from behind. He went down, his weapon clattering across the floor. Sam struggled with the man, having to use force to restrain him.

"Call for back-up," he called to Andy as he cuffed the assailant. Andy did as requested, and then went over to the woman who was sitting on the couch. She tried to get the, obviously frightened, woman to tell her what happened, but she was too shaken up. The man, on the other hand, could not stop talking and throwing profanities towards the woman, Sam and Andy.

"You have the right to remain silent," Sam said as he pulled the man off the floor and threw him roughly against the wall. "I suggest you use it."

The sound of sirens indicated that back-up had arrived. Sure enough, Officers Shaw and Epstein made their way up to the apartment a few minutes later. Sam handed the man off to Shaw who took him down to the squad car. Andy was about to follow suit with the woman when she heard a faint cry coming from the other side of the apartment. She quickly handed to the woman to a bewildered looking Epstein before going in search of the source of the mystery noise. As she got closer, she identified the sound as a baby crying. Sure enough, when she entered a small room at the back of the apartment, she saw a toddler, no more than two years old, standing up in a battered, old crib, screaming for his mommy. Andy went over to the child and picked him up, holding him close to her chest, and whispering soothing words to try to calm him. However, the kid would not stop screaming, and just kept pointing towards the ground. Andy looked down and saw a pacifier lying a few feet away from the crib. She bent down to pick it up, and after brushing the dirt off it, gave it to the screaming child. He put it in his mouth, and the crying immediately stopped. The child snuggled into Andy's chest, tired from all the exertion. Andy carried the boy back into the living room, where Sam was giving Shaw his statement.

"Hey Sam, look who I found." Sam turned to see Andy heading towards him, a red-faced, blue-eyed baby in her arms.

"Oh, that's Michael," Oliver said. "The lady said she had a son. We're gonna have to call Child Protective Services to take him until we can get this whole mess straightened out." Oliver gestured to Sam, who was just staring obliviously at Andy interacting with Michael. Shaw just shook his head and went downstairs to tell the parents they had Michael, and to call Child Services.

Andy moved over to the couch, with Michael still in her arms, to wait for the social worker to show up. Sam came over and sat next to her.

"Hello Michael," he said, reaching out to the little boy, who just shrank further into Andy's embrace. "Oh, maybe he doesn't like me." Sam joked, though he was a little hurt. _I'm usually great with kids; I must be losing my touch. _

"I'm sure it's not that, Sam. He's probably just traumatized from seeing his dad almost kill his mom," Andy said, with venom in her voice. Domestic violence cases always got under her skin, she wasn't sure why.

"Well, he seems quite taken with you. You're really good with him," Sam said as he saw Andy rubbing soothing circles on Michael's back. She wiped the tears from his eyes, and held him tighter to her chest, as if to protect him from the violence that had just occurred feet away from where they were sitting.

"Dad was never big on pocket money, all the money he had he spent on booze. So, I used to babysit neighbors' kids to earn extra cash in high school." They sat in silence whilst they wait for Child Services. Sam heard Andy softly singing to Michael to send him off to sleep. Sam leant back against the couch, and closed his eyes, as fantasies filled his head.

_Sam pulled his large truck into the driveway of his suburban home, perfectly American down the cliché white picket fence. He saw the door open and a little brown-haired boy came flying out towards him screaming, "Daddy!" Sam had just enough time to bend onto his knees before the boy flew into his arms. He picked him up and swung him around, a joyful grin plastered on both their faces, complete with dimples. He placed the boy back onto the ground, and looked into his twinkling, blue eyes. _

_"How's my little man? Have you been good for mummy?" The child nodded enthusiastically, with a cheeky grin. Sam looked up to see Andy walking towards him, a squirming toddler in her arms. Once they got to him, the little girl reached her arms out to Sam, who scooped her up in a tight hug.  
>"And how's my little angel?" He stroked the little girl's hair as she sank deeper into his embrace. <em>

_"I missed you Daddy!" She said her voice distorted by the thumb stuck in her mouth. The little boy reciprocated, and Sam held him tight against him_

_. "I missed you guys too. Why don't you go inside and wash up for dinner, ok?" He put the little girl down, and she held her brother's hand as they walked back to the house. _

_"So, where's my hug?" Andy asked Sam jokily. He opened his arms and she walked into his embrace. He held her tight to his chest, breathing in the scent of her lavender shampoo, so thankful to be home. He kissed the top of her head, before releasing her. He put his arm around her waist and held her close as they walked to the house. _

_"How was your day, honey, did the kids behave themselves?" They entered the house, and Andy headed to the kitchen to finish preparing the family meal, whilst Sam planted himself on a stool at the breakfast bar, content to watch his wife work_

_"Joey scored his first ever goal at his soccer match this afternoon," Andy said as she stirred the pasta. _

_"That's my boy," Sam said proudly, watching his kids playing in the living room. _

_"Yeah, except it was in the other team's net," Andy said with a chuckle. "He was upset when his team lost, thinking it was his fault. After two minutes of trying to convince him otherwise, I got him an ice-cream, and he cheered up straight away." Andy laughed. _

_"Yep, he's definitely a Swarek," Sam said smugly. Andy turned the hob off, and strained the pasta before tossing the salad. Sam looked over to his children, just in time to see Joey push his sister, Megan, down, causing her to burst out crying. "Joseph Thomas Swarek!" He scolded. "Pick your sister up and apologize now." Joey stood sulkily and pulled his sister to her feet._

"_I'm sorry, Megs," he said and pulled her into a hug. She sniffled against his shirt, her words muffled._

"_That's ok, JoJo." He smiled at his sister's special nickname for him. At only two years old, she couldn't say Joey properly yet. He released her, and they continued playing, everything back to normal. _

_"Joey, Megan, dinner's ready!" Andy called and the kids came running into the kitchen, sitting at their usual places at the dinner table. Their parents joined them, and they exchanged light-hearted conversation throughout the meal. _

_Later on that night, Andy and Sam stood in the children's' bedroom watching over them as they slept soundly. Andy looked over at Sam who was staring out into space, a thoughtful look on his face. "What are you thinking about, honey?"Andy asked him, nudging him to get his attention. _

_"Just how the hell I got to be so lucky? Eight years ago, I was undercover trying to bust Anton Hill, living in a crappy apartment, putting myself in danger every day, for what? And then you entered my life, like a giant wrecking ball." He smirked, remembering how they first met. "If someone had told me then that, eight years later, I'd be married to that same woman, the love of my life, with two beautiful miracles; I'd have punched them out. I have everything I ever wanted, right here." He reached down and stroked Megan's hair before planting a lingering kiss on her forehead. "I love you, Andy."_

_"I love you too," Andy replied before pulling Sam to her for a long, passionate kiss. When the need for air became too much, they pulled away, resting their foreheads together. _

_"Let's get outta here before we wake them up," Sam said, taking his wife's hand and leading her to their bedroom..._

"Sam, Sam, wake up!" Andy said, giving him a swift nudge in the ribs. He awoke with a start, rubbing his chest where she had elbowed him. _Damn, I'd just got to the good part. _

"Ouch, you really like hurting me, don't you, McNally!" She just smirked as she adjusted a still sleeping Michael in her arms. "And for your information, I wasn't sleeping. I was just resting my eyes." Andy rolled her eyes.

"Sure you were, Swarek," she muttered. "Shaw just called me. Child Services are waiting for us downstairs." She stood up off the couch and carried Michael down the stairs, with Sam mindlessly following, still in a daze from his vivid daydream. When they got back outside the apartment building, they saw Shaw and Epstein leaning against their cruiser talking with a young, red-headed woman in a crisp business suit. She looked more like a lawyer, than a social worker. She turned around as Andy and Sam approached.

"Hi I'm Mallory Stone from CPS. You must be Officers Swarek and McNally." Sam shook hands with Mallory.

"It's nice to meet you Miss Stone. You call me Sam, and this is my partner Andy." Mallory gave Andy a small smile.

"So, this must be Michael." She held out her hands, and Andy tried to hand Michael over to her without waking him. Unfortunately, as soon as she moved, Michael woke up and started to cry.

"Hey, it's ok, Michael, this nice lady is gonna look after you until your parents get back, ok?" Andy calmed the little boy enough that he allowed her to hand him over to Mallory. "What's going to happen to him?"

"We'll place him with an emergency foster care family for now. If his father is charged with assault, social services will conduct an investigation to see whether the mother is fit raise the child alone. If not, we will find a more permanent foster family for him. Don't worry; I'll make sure he's well cared for." Andy thanked Mallory, who then left with Michael. Andy waved goodbye to them until the car turned the corner out of sight. Sam turned to Andy and saw the tears glistening in her eyes. The urge to reach out and hug her was almost unbearable, but he resisted, knowing she wasn't his to hold.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked. Andy furiously wiped the moisture from her eyes, ashamed at herself for falling apart in front of Sam.

"I'm fine. Come on, we've got work to do." They walked over to where Oliver and Shaw were questioning the man and the woman.

"Hey," Oliver said as he saw them approach. "Looks like we're gonna have to take them both in, get this straightened out at the precinct. CSU's still processing the apartment, so we won't know what really happened until their report comes in. You wanna take Derrick and we'll take Jade?"  
>"Hey, how come you get the easy ride? This guy wouldn't stop flapping his trap and cussing at us in the apartment."<br>"Fine, we'll flip for it, and no cheating." Oliver pulled a quarter out of his pocket and flipped it. Sam called heads whilst the coin was in midair. The coin landed with a slap in Shaw's hand, tails up.  
>"Ha-ha, you lose, Sammy boy." Oliver said, happily as he handed Derrick over. "He's all yours. Have fun!" Oliver laughed as he put Jade in his cruiser. He called Epstein over, who was flirting with one of the neighbors. They both got into their car and sped off towards the precinct. Sam threw Derrick into the squad car and climbed in the driver's seat. Andy quickly got into the car as Sam sped off following Shaw.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Hey! Here's the next chapter, sorry it took so long. Next chapter will hopefully be up Monday or Tuesday, depending on how much I get written this weekend. Hope you enjoy this chapter, and please review; it gives me so much motivation.

Oh, and before I forget, I didn't put a disclaimer on this story yet, so just in case, I'll add it to here.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Rookie Blue; this is just for entertainment purposes, blah, blah blah

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

They dropped the suspects off at the precinct, leaving them with Nash and Peck to do the booking paperwork. They grabbed some refreshments and went back on the road, with Sam driving this time. Andy noticed that Sam seemed to be in a better mood now, but was still curious about what Best had talked to him about that morning. She knew there was more to it than just congratulations about the case. She decided to push it, and see if Sam would open up to her. _The worst he can do is tell me to back off, right? He's my partner and my friend; he should know that he can tell me anything._

"So, now we're alone again, you wanna tell me what's been bugging you all morning?" Sam's hands tightened on the wheel, his knuckles turning white with the effort. _I should have known she'd never let this go. _

"I told you, everything's fine; Frank just wanted to thank me for stepping in and salvaging the Bergen case, that's all."

"Then, why have you been walking around like a zombie all morning? You're always a million miles away. I'm your partner, if something is bothering you that could affect your focus, and your ability to do your job, I need to know." Sam could feel the anger boiling inside of him. _How dare she? I can do my job just fine, probably a darn sight better than her. _He saw their favorite diner up ahead, and pulled into the parking lot. When he didn't move to get out, she looked him, confused. He unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to face her, the anger evident in his piercing gaze.

"Look, I may not be your training officer anymore, but you are still a rookie in my book, and you do not get to accuse me of not doing my job." Sam saw Andy flinch, and he softened his gaze.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to imply you couldn't do your job." Andy said, and Sam put his hand over hers to show he forgave her. "It's just... I'm just not used to seeing you so distracted. I'm not just your partner, I'm your friend. Friends are supposed to tell each other things. I just wanna help."  
>"I know," Sam said, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. "And I appreciate it, really I do. But, this is just something I gotta figure out myself, ok?" He looked into her eyes and saw understanding, but the concern was still there. He could feel himself getting lost in her deep brown eyes, and had to fight to control the irresistible urge to kiss her. She glanced down at his mouth, and he could tell she was thinking the same thing. He leaned in and saw her eyes flutter closed. Just before he captured her lips with his, they heard the dispatcher's voice over the radio. Sam sprang back into his seat. <em>Saved by the bell, so to speak. Man, I gotta get a grip on this before I do something stupid. She's with Callahan, and I will not be the other guy. <em>He turned the volume up on the radio.

"Stand by for the hotshot. We have a multiple homicide at the corner of Queens and Dundas, appears to be a drive-by shooting. All available units respond." Sam turned to Andy, who was looking down at the floor, a red flush working its way over her cheeks. He could see she was embarrassed about what had almost happened, so tried to laugh it off.

"Well, so much for lunch, no rest for the wicked, eh?" She gave him a small smile, before picking up the radio and responding to the call.

"15-05 responding, we're 10 minutes out." She placed the radio back down, and buckled up her seatbelt. Sam flipped on the siren and pulled out of the diner parking lot, weaving through traffic towards the crime scene.

As they turned the corner onto Queens Street, they were bombarded with a sea of flashing lights. At least two other squad cars were at the scene, as well as two ambulances and unmarked police vehicles. Sam pulled in as close to the barricade as possible, and they got out and walked under the yellow tape towards the scene. Noelle was already there, talking to Callahan, whilst Shaw and Epstein were canvassing for witnesses. The ground was littered with bullets and casings, mixing with the blood from the victims to create a deathly stew. They saw the ME place the 4th victim into a body bag next to the other three. Andy saw that one of the body bags was smaller than the others; a child, probably an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire. She felt a lump in her throat, tears stinging her eyes threatening to fall. Sam sensed his partner's discomfort and was desperate to wrap her in his arms to protect her from the horror they were seeing. He saw Luke's eyes boring into him, and so settled for a comforting hand on Andy's shoulder. She turned to him and gave a small smile. She took a deep breath to compose herself.

"Are you good?" Sam asked. She nodded then headed over to Callahan who was talking with Noelle.

"Hey guys. What've we got?" Sam asked.

"Looks like a gang initiation. Witnesses say a large SUV came careening round the corner, and then bullets started flying."

"Was there a specific target, or was it just random?" Andy asked, trying her best not to over at the body bags, her stomach in knots. _Glad I didn't have lunch; I'd be seeing it again at this rate. Just breathe, and concentrate on the work. _She tried to zone back in on the conversation.

"We ran checks on the victims, they're clean. It looks like they just picked a street and opened fire randomly."

"What else did the witnesses say?" Sam asked, as he scanned the growing crowd.  
>"Not much," Noelle replied. "This neighborhood isn't exactly known for its co-operation with the police.<br>"It's like a brotherhood, they all protect each other," Luke said, anger and disgust evident in his voice. "Half these people probably know who did it, but they'll never tell us. And what's worse is they'll blame us for this - the police, the government - anybody except the son of a bitch who really did it." Andy placed her hand on his arm, trying to calm him, and she felt the muscles ripple underneath her fingers.

"I'm gonna go see what Oliver and Dov have got out of them," Sam said. "Noelle, why don't you see what CSU have found so far?" Noelle gave him a look, but relented when Sam nudged his head towards Andy and Luke, indicating that the couple needed to be alone. They left Andy and Luke at the barricade, and went to work.

Luke turned to Andy and saw how uncomfortable she was. He moved in front of her, blocking her view of the line of body bags. Even though Andy had been a cop for eight months now, she had never been to a multiple homicide scene. It made her stomach churn that someone could just gun down a group of innocent people like cannon fodder. Luke looked around to see if anyone was watching, then pulled Andy into his arms. She buried her head in his chest, breathing in his scent. She could see Sam watching her intently, his jaw locked tight. _If I didn't know better, I'd think he was jealous. Oh, come on; get real Andy, why would Sam be jealous? Although, there was that moment in the squad car, he was going to kiss me, I'm sure of it... God, I'm so confused. _

"Hey, Callahan," Oliver said as he approached the couple, his head in his notebook. "We've got a better description on our vehicle..." He looked up and saw Luke quickly release Andy from their romantic embrace. "Oh, sorry, am I interrupting?"

"Its fine, Ollie," Luke said, frustration evident in his voice. Shaw frowned at the nickname. _Only my wife is allowed to call me that. _"What've you got?"

"It's Oliver, Lukey," Oliver said, laughing to himself when he saw Callahan give him a disapproving look. "Well, you know what witness statements are like; no-one ever agrees about what they saw. However, the consensus is that it was a late model SUV, either black or dark blue, with tinted windows so no-one saw the driver."

"Thanks, Oliver." Luke left to inform Noelle and Sam of the developments, leaving Oliver and Andy in uncomfortable silence.

The team spent the next few hours at the scene, supervising the evidence collection, before returning to the precinct. Luke headed to his office, whilst Andy joined Sam and the other coppers to complete her paperwork. She sat at her desk, across from Sam who had his head buried in the report he was reviewing.

"Sam?" Sam looked up to find Andy looking at him nervously. "You think, maybe, we could talk?" _I knew she wouldn't let it go. _

"If it's about what's been bothering me all day, I told you, I'm handling it, ok?" He tried to pick up his pen to finish his report, but Andy grabbed his hand to stop him.

"It's not about that." She said, absently stroking her thumb across the back of his hand.

"If not that, then what, what do you wanna talk about?" He swallowed thickly, trying not to show what her touch was doing to him.

It's about what happened at the diner today." _Please don't say it's another 'It was what it was' moment, Sam._

"About that..." Sam hesitated, trying to think of how to explain what happened.

"Swarek, my office now," Best called out over the bullpen, before retreating back into his office.  
>"Wow, twice in one day; you must really be in trouble, Sammy boy," Oliver said as he walked past Sam's desk. "You better get in there." Sam shot an apologetic look at Andy, and headed up the stairs to Frank's office.<p>

"So," Best began, leaning back in his leather executive chair. "Have you decided whether you will transfer to Guns and Gangs yet?"

"I'm sorry, Sir, I need more time." _I have to figure out if Andy and I have a chance. _

"I can't give you any more time, Sam. I've got Boyd and the guys at the G&G division breathing down my neck. They're desperate to have you, and even though I'd be sad to see you go, I can't let you pass up this opportunity."

"It's still my decision, Sir, and I need more time." Sam started pacing the small room as Frank continued lecturing him about the position.

Meanwhile, in the bullpen, Luke approached Andy who was still standing in the same spot Sam left her, staring through the blinds into Best's office, trying to see what was going on. Luke wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Luke, we're in the middle of the bullpen, people will see us," Andy said, trying to shrug him off. She'd never been a big fan of public displays of affection, especially in the workplace.

"I don't care, everybody knows about us, anyway. Best is a little pre-occupied, so no-one's gonna catch us, just relax." He saw that Andy was still a little uncomfortable, so he allowed her to shrug him off. She turned around to face him, and he gave her a small kiss. He reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a small wrapped box. Andy's eyes widened. _That better not be what I think it is. We've only been together six months, we just moved in together, we're definitely not ready for that yet, if ever. _Luke handed her the box, and she gingerly lifted the lid, to reveal a beautiful pair of silver, diamond-studded earrings. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"They're beautiful," Andy said, running her fingers over the tiny, glistening diamonds. She pulled them out and held them up to her ears, whilst Luke smiled. She put them back in the box, and set it down on the table before pulling him in for a kiss.

Back in Best's office, Sam was trying to tune out Best's lecture. He stared out at the bullpen, watching as his colleagues finished reports, questioned witnesses and booked suspects. He was just about to turn back to his boss, when he saw Luke approach Andy and wrap her in an embrace. His hands tightened into fists, his fingernails digging into his palms. He saw Luke hand Andy the jewelry box and his heart stopped. _Please let that not be what I think it is. _He saw Andy had a similar expression and felt the slightest glimpse of hope. This was soon dashed when Andy opened the box and pulled out the diamond earrings. He saw her eyes light up as she wrapped her arms around Luke, kissing him passionately.

"Swarek," Sam's head snapped away from the happy couple to his boss who was glaring at him angrily. "Did you hear anything I just said?" Sam just stared at him blankly, but the wheels were turning in his head. _She looks so happy, and who am I to mess with that? All I want is for her to be happy, and if Luke does then I need to step back, move on, and I know I can't do that here, having to watch her with him... I need a clean slate. _Sam came to a decision.

"Well?" Frank asked impatiently. "Are you gonna take the job or not?" Sam took one last look out of the window at Luke and Andy still wrapped up in each other, and knew what he had to do. He turned to Frank. "Yes sir, I'll take it."


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys! Sorry it took so long, I would've got this up sooner, but I had job training all day, funfun LOL! This chapter took forever to write, and I'm still not 100% happy with it, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! **PS: **My muse loves reviews :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

The next day, Sam walked into the precinct, bags under his eyes from a restless night. He couldn't stop thinking about Andy, although that's not new, but also his new job at Guns and Gangs. He headed towards the locker room, but is intercepted by Frank.

"Hey Sam, I'm glad you decided to accept my job offer. Boyd was very pleased to hear you'd be joining him over at Guns and Gangs."

"I'm looking forward to working with him too, sir," Sam said, with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Good. Now, I want to announce your transfer at parade today, so we can start organizing partner changes and such. Is that ok with you?"

"Not really, sir," Sam said carefully, not wanting to upset the boss. "I kinda wanted to tell everyone myself, privately."

"If you want to tell them before parade, that's fine." He looked at his watch. "You have a few minutes. But, we really need to get the ball rolling on this. Boyd wants you over there by the end of the week, as they already have an assignment for you." Frank didn't wait for approval before heading past Sam back to his office. _Shit, I need to find Andy before she finds out from someone else. _He rushed into the women's locker room, but saw only a few officers in there; no sign of McNally. He saw Traci over by Jerry's desk and headed towards her.

"Hey Traci, have you seen Andy?" He asked.

"Not yet. But, we were at the Penny till late last night, so she probably just slept through her alarm or something." _Yeah, or something. _Sam thanked her and headed back to his desk to wait for her.

Five minutes before parade, Andy still hadn't shown up. Sam had no choice but to join the other officers in the briefing room. He sat near the back with a clear sight line to the door. He saw Andy rush in just before Best appeared, her uniform a bit askew indicating she had put it on in a hurry. She took a seat next to Traci.

"Hey, didn't think you were gonna make it," Traci whispered.

"Sorry, slept through my alarm," Andy said, fixing her collar, and catching her breath. She had run all the way here, after waking up half an hour late. Luke had already left, and had forgotten to wake her up.  
>"Thought so, that's what I told Swarek." Andy looks at her best friend with confusion.<p>

"Sam?"  
>"Yeah, he was looking for you before parade. Looked really anxious, like he had something he needed to tell you." Andy tried to catch Sam's eye, but he was talking to Oliver. Best took his spot at the front of the room and began the briefing. After he gave his obligatory morning talk, he held his hand up to quiet the room.<p>

"Alright coppers, listen up. I have one more announcement before you go. I believe congratulations are in order. Sam," Frank indicated for Sam to stand up, and he did so reluctantly, "has decided to leave the 15th to join the Guns and Gangs division." Everyone came over to congratulate him with hugs and handshakes; well, everyone except Andy, who was still stuck to her seat in shock. _He's leaving? _She couldn't believe it! _So, that's what's been bugging him. Whoa. I mean, I know that he wanted to join Guns and Gangs after the Anton Hill bust went south, but that was months ago, I thought... Why didn't he tell me? _Best's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Now, Boyd wants Sam on assignment as soon as possible, so I've fast tracked his transfer. His last shift will be tomorrow. I will reorganize the rosters and partnerships accordingly. I hope all of you will join us at the Penny after shift tomorrow night, so we can send Swarek off in style. Alright, pick up your assignments on the way out, dismissed." Everyone got up and left to their respective jobs, until only Andy and Sam remained. They both stood staring at each other awkwardly, trying to think of what to say.

"Congratulations, Sam." Andy said, trying to hide the hurt in her voice. _We're partners, Sam. You should've told me._ She shook his hand and tried to leave, but Sam grabbed her arm. She turned towards him and saw the pain in his eyes.

As if reading her mind, Sam said, "Andy, I'm sorry. I only made the decision last night. When Frank told me he was gonna announce it in parade, I tried to find you, but you were late, and..." he took a deep breath to calm himself. "I wanted to tell you, I really did." Andy felt tears prickling in the corners of her eyes. _I can't let him see me cry; I have to get out of here._

"Its okay, Sam. It's a great opportunity and I'm happy for you. I better go; I'm on the front desk with Traci. I'll see you after shift." She walked out, leaving Sam standing there in shock. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, and headed out to meet up with his partner for the day, Epstein.

Andy headed over to the front desk where Traci was already working. She sank down into the chair next to her and put her head in her hands, trying to fight the tears that were still threatening to fall.

"Are you okay, Andy?" Traci asked, rubbing comforting circles on her back. Andy sat up, scrubbed the tears from her face and turned to her friend with a forced smile.

"I'm fine, Trace." Traci gave her "You've gotta be kidding me" look.

"Come on, Andy. I know you better than that. This is about Sam, isn't it?" Andy knew there was no point in trying to hide anything from Traci, so she nodded.

"I have to admit, I was surprised. I had no idea Sam wanted to join Guns and Gangs."  
>"He has for a while," Andy admitted, thinking back to her first day with him on the streets.<p>

_Sam ducked under the rapidly closing garage door, with Andy hurrying behind. _

_"Okay. So, I'm sure you've had the talk," Sam said. "We're partners; you back me up, no matter what, you don't move unless I tell you to, it's my car, so my rules are _the _rules."_

_"Yes sir," Andy replied. _

_"Good. So, here's my addendum. I'm here because I'd rather work the streets than man the wire room until a spot in Guns and Gangs opens up, and while I do like working the streets, I did not ask to train a rookie, I did not ask to have a partner, and I'm not your boyfriend; I will not be holding your hand." _

_"Well, that's great, 'cause I don't date cops anyway..."_

Andy is pulled out of her reverie by Traci waving her hand in front of her face. _Well, so much for 'not dating cops'._

"Sorry Trace. I was just thinking..."

"What were you thinking about?" Traci asked, curious.

"Oh, just about my first day on patrol with Sam. He told me that he was only here because he'd rather work the streets than be chained to a desk, at least until a spot at Guns and Gangs opened up."

"Oh," Traci said, realization washing over her. "Well, that was months ago, things change, and people change."  
>"Obviously not," Andy sighed. "I don't know why this bothers me so much." Traci looked at her like she'd grown a second head.<p>

"Of course you do. It's because you care about him, Andy!" Andy's eyes widened at Traci's loud outburst. A few people in the station turned to look at them.

"Keep your voice down, will ya?" Andy whispered, her cheeks turning a slight shade of pink. "Of course I care about Sam; he's my partner and my friend, but that's as far as it goes, okay? I'm with Luke, I love him." Traci was getting irritated. She loved Andy like a sister, but she could not stand her lying to herself anymore.

Meanwhile, Sam was out on patrol, trying desperately to block out Dov's incessant chatter.

"I think it's so cool, you going to Guns and Gangs... not that I want to get rid of you or anything, I just think it's a great opportunity for you. It'll mean loads of undercover work, which is what you're good at... not that you're bad at everything else, it's just..." Sam had to suppress a laugh at Dov's rambling. He decided to step in and cut him off before he dug himself in any deeper.

"It's ok, Dov, I know what you mean. Thanks." Dov sighed in relief that he hadn't offended his partner.  
>"No worries, Sir. I'm planning to organize a spectacular leaving party for tomorrow night. It is gonna be a blast, with all the guys from 15th, drinks..." Sam tuned Dov out as he continued to ramble on about the party.<p>

"Sir?" Sam spun round to face the rookie as he realized Dov had asked him a question. Dov, seeing Sam's confused face, repeated the question.

"Will you miss it?"

"Miss what?" Sam asked, keeping his eyes on the road.

"You know, walking the streets, working with us at the 15th?" Sam's hands tightened on the wheel, his knuckles turning white. He thought about all his friends at the 15th - Oliver, Jerry, and of course, Andy. _No, I can't think about her, about missing her; I have to stay strong. I'm doing this for her; and for me, I need to move on. _

"Of course I'll miss the guys at 15th." Sam said, shortly. He did not want to be having this conversation, especially with a cop who's like a 9-year old on a sugar rush.

"Even me?"

"Don't push it, Dov."

"Sorry. It's just... being undercover is a very lonely experience."

"It's not like I'm dropping off the face of the Earth, Epstein. I have been undercover before, I know how to handle it."

"Yeah, but a lot of things have changed since the Anton Hill case. You have more ties now - friends, a partner... I'm sure Andy's really upset about you leaving."

"Yeah?" _She didn't seem that bothered, more surprised than anything. _

"Of course, Sir." Dov couldn't believe Sam could be so dense. "She's your partner, and you know, she cares about you, a lot. I thought you took would make a good couple, but then she hooked up with Callahan... wait, that's why you're leaving right?" Sam's eyes widened. _What is this kid, a mind reader? Relax; play it cool, Swarek._

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sam said, hoping Dov would get the message and drop this line of questioning. _Damn, why do I let these rookies get to me?_

"You're leaving because you Andy's with Luke and you can't stand to see her happy with someone else. I get it."

"Drop it, Epstein," Sam all but growled. Dov faltered a little at the sound, but stood his ground.

"I don't mean to step outta line, Sir, but Andy's like a sister to me, and I don't want to see her hurt. I know you don't either. But, Sir, you leaving would hurt her more than you realize. At least think about it." The radio crackling into life informing them of their next call-out ended Dov's mini ultimatum, for which Sam was thankful. Sam turned on the siren, pulled a quick U-turn and speeded off in the direction of the disturbance, his mind still reeling from Dov's revelations.

Back in the station, Traci was giving Andy an ultimatum about her feelings for Sam.

"Come on, Andy; be honest with yourself, if not with me. It's not working with Luke; all our late night phone calls, with you ranting about him cancelling another date, or staying all night to work; he doesn't deserve you, Andy."

"Thank-you, Dr Phil," Andy said sarcastically. Traci rolled her eyes. She turned in her seat, so she was looking straight into Andy's eyes, hoping she would get the message.

"You deserve better; you deserve to be happy." Andy tried to turn away from her friend's intense gaze, but Traci held onto her seat.

"I am happy!" Andy insisted, but they both knew it was not true.

"No, you're not, you're faking; I can see it. I know I always said, "Fake it 'til you make it," but I was talking about the job, not in your personal life."

"Says you," said Andy. _She's such a hypocrite. Two can play at this game_. "You're with Dex because you think that is what's best for Leo; but you're not happy either."

"That situation is completely different... Hey, don't change the subject! You keep pushing Sam away, and now you've pushed him right out the door." _She's right; it's my fault Sam's leaving. I need to do something. _

"Well, what do you suggest I should do about it then, if you're so wise?"

"So you're not denying it?" Traci smirked. Andy glared and Traci put her hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay. Talk to him; tell him how you feel; before it's too late." _She's right; I need to talk to Sam. _

"I will, as soon as he gets back from patrol. Thanks Traci." She gave her best friend a hug.

"You're welcome, sweetheart. You know, I should start charging for this stuff." They laughed, and, after refilling their coffee cups, went back to work, anxiously waiting until the end of shift.

Andy is booking in two robbery suspects when she saw Sam and Dov enter the precinct and head into the locker room. She was desperate to follow them, but did not want to leave Traci alone with the unruly suspects. As if reading her mind, Traci said, "Go; I've got this." Andy looked back at Traci.

"Are you sure? These guys could get pretty nasty," she said, trying to calm the two criminals down whilst she took their details.

"In case you've forgotten, I can get pretty nasty too if I want to. Besides, help is only a holler away." She gestured to the bustling bullpen, filled with other officers.

"Okay, thanks." Traci shrugged off her appreciation. "Not just for this, but for your advice earlier; I really needed it."

"No problem. What are friends for?" Andy left Traci with the two robbers, and headed into the men's locker room.

"Jeez, McNally," Dov said, standing there in just a towel, slung low on his hips. Andy just stood there with an amused smirk. "Don't you knock; what if I'd been naked?"

"I'd point and laugh," Andy said with a chuckle. Sam, who was watching the exchange from the other side of the room, covered his mouth as he tried not to laugh.

"Ha-ha, very funny," Dov said, his cheeks turning red. He bolted into the showers to avoid any further embarrassment.

"This is becoming a habit, McNally," Sam said as he sauntered over to her, standing a little too close for comfort. "Following people into locker rooms." Andy heart race increased at his close proximity, her breathing hitched.

"We need to talk," she said, trying to keep her voice even.

"Good, because there's something I need to tell you too."

"Do you think we could go somewhere a little more private?" Sam nodded, and she followed him out of the locker room and into a nearby empty observation room.

Andy walked over to the other side of the room, putting as much distance between her and Sam as possible, so she could clear her head for what she was about to say. After several minutes of awkward silence, Sam spoke up.

"You wanted to talk, McNally, so talk." _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. I can't do this; I should just leave. _

"It doesn't matter; it's stupid. I've gotta go." She tried to walk out, but he stood in front of her only exit point. He grabbed her arm, slide his hand down until he grasped onto hers, holding it tightly.

"Nothing you've ever said is stupid, Andy," Sam said, and Andy heard the sincerity in his voice. "Is this about me leaving?" Andy swallowed thickly. Sam let go of her hand and started pacing the room.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Andy."

"It's ok, Sam, I know you tried; Traci told me you were looking for me this morning."

"Yeah, I wanted to explain why..."

"You don't have to, Sam. I get it; you've wanted to work in Guns and Gangs ever since you started working the streets."

"Yeah, but I never thought a place would open up."

"Well, it's a great opportunity; I'm happy for you," Andy lied, but she knew she'd been caught out when she saw Sam's look. "I am, Sam, it's just... you're my partner, we work well together, I don't wanna have to get used to working with someone else."

"I'm not gonna leave you hanging. I'll ask Oliver to take over as your partner for now; he knows you almost as well as I do, and you work well with him, don't you?" Andy nodded.

"Yeah, Oliver's great... but he's not you." Andy looked down at the floor, so Sam wouldn't see the tears streaking down her face. _I can't let him see me cry; I need to be strong. _But, it was too late. Sam's heart broke when he heard the faint sob escape her mouth. He stepped closer and placed a finger under her chin, lifting her gaze to his.

"I don't want to leave, Andy, but I don't have a choice."

"What? Is Sgt. Best forcing you to transfer?" Andy was shocked that the boss would do such a thing.

"No, I just have to get away for a while," Sam said, absently stoking his thumb across Andy's cheek, wiping away the last remnants of her earlier tears.

"Is it because of me, because of something I did?" She looked so small and vulnerable staring up at him with watery eyes, her face displaying a mixture of fear of worry.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong, Andy. It's me." Sam took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for what he was about to admit. _It's now or never, kid. Here goes. _He took her face in his hands, ensuring she heard every word.

"It's no secret that I have feelings for you, Andy. I have for a while. But, you're with Luke; and I respect that. At first, I thought you'd come to your senses, or Luke would throw you away like he did with all the other rookies, and I wanted to be there to pick up the pieces. But, turns out, he really cares about you, and I can see that you're happy. That's all I've ever wanted for you, Andy; to be happy, and I don't wanna get in the way of that. But, seeing with Luke, it hurts. I need a clean break; to move on."

Andy was stunned silent from the weight of Sam's words. He stepped back, letting his hands fall to his side. _Please say something, Andy. Say I'm wrong; say that you care about me too, anything. Just please give me a reason to stay._ Seeing no response to his heartfelt revelation from Andy, Sam turned to the door.

"Sam, wait!" Andy's voice stopped him in his tracks, his hand frozen on the door handle. He slowly turned to face her. "You're wrong. I'm not happy." She began to pace the room to shake off her nervous energy. "Yes, Luke cares about me, but his life is his work, he always puts the job before me. I'm sick of the cancelled dates, of waking up alone..."

"Then why are you still with him?" Sam said, walking towards her, stilling her frantic pacing.

"Because he is the safe choice; or at least I thought he was. I thought if my heart wasn't really in it, I couldn't get hurt..." Andy said, her voice cracking with sobs, as tears streaked her face.  
>"But you did." Andy nodded. Sam was now standing in front of her, his toes touching hers, looking down with concern in his eyes.<p>

"I should've known it wouldn't work; not when my heart belonged to someone else..."

"Well, whoever that is, he's a lucky guy," Sam said with a smirk, his dimples evident. Andy chuckled, smiling through her tears. He reached up and brushed away the tears with the pad of his thumb.

"I'm sorry I pushed you away, I never wanted you to leave."

Sam backed Andy up against the one-way mirror, his hands on either side of her, penning her in, his face so close she could feel his hot breath on her cheek.

"Then, ask me to stay," Sam said, huskily, reaching up to cup her cheek with his hand. He pulled her closer, their mouths a mere whisker apart. Andy was lost in his chocolate brown eyes, her head pounding with desire. _For once, Andy, follow your heart; don't over think it. _

"Stay," Andy whispered as she closed the gap. The moment their lips touched, they heard a very angry voice call out,

"What the hell is going on in here?"


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys! Thank-you so much for all the reviews for the last chapter, I was blown away by the response! As a reward, I'm posting this chapter two days before I promised :) Hope you enjoy this chapter, and I'll try and get the next one up asap. And, as always please review :) xx

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

"What the hell is going on here?" Luke shouted, causing the couple to spring apart. They turned towards the voice. Andy almost reeled back when she saw the fury in Luke's eyes.

"Luke, I can explain..." Andy stuttered, desperately trying to think of a legitimate reason for her to be kissing her former training officer.

"Ha, don't bother," Luke snarled, venom dripping from every syllable. "I can see what's going on here. God, how could I have been so stupid!" Luke mentally slapped himself at his stupidity. _These two are gonna pay for making a fool out of me. _

"What are you talking about?" Andy said, as she looked to Sam, who appeared just as confused as her.  
>"You two have been lying to me for months, haven't you? I bet you've been sleeping together behind my back since the blackout. So much for 'nothing happened,' hey, Andy?"<p>

"That's not true!" Andy protested. "There's nothing going on between me and Sam, this just happened!" Luke grabbed Andy by the wrist, gripping so tight that dark bruises formed under his hand, scarring her silky skin. He pulled her to him, his hot breath blowing over her face; his normally calm, blue eyes were dark with anger.

"Don't you dare lie to me Andy!" Andy's eyes widened in fear as Luke's grip tightened. She looked to Sam in desperation, and saw his hands curled into fists at his side, his teeth gritted as he fought to remain in control.

"Let go of her, Callahan," Sam snarled, glaring daggers towards Luke, who just smirked.  
>"Bet she was a good lay, hey Swarek?" That pushed Sam over the edge. He marched over to Luke, pulled his fist back, and smashed it into his jaw, causing him to let of Andy and stumble backwards into the mirror. He recovered quickly and fought back with a sucker punch to Sam's gut, sending him doubling over in pain.<p>

The sounds of the fight alerted Jerry and Oliver, who were settling a suspect into the Interrogation room ready for questioning. They headed into the adjoining room and saw Sam grappling with Luke on the floor like two kids in a playground scuffle, with Andy standing on the sidelines, screaming at them to stop.

"What the hell?" Jerry asked. Oliver pulled Sam off Luke as Jerry picked Luke up. The two men fought against them, as they tried to continue their battle. "Just cool it, guys. I don't know what the hell is going on here, but you better knock it off before Best catches you. Oliver, take Sam outside, I'll take Luke. Let's see if we can find out what the fuck happened here." Jerry dragged Luke out towards the locker room, as Oliver took Sam outside, leaving Andy standing in the observation room, bewildered at what had just transpired. Just then, Dov walked in, three coffees in his hand. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Andy. He looked around and saw the state of the room, showing obvious signs of a struggle. He turned to Andy and asked,

"What did I miss?" Andy just shook her head and walked out, leaving a very confused Dov in her wake.

Oliver and Sam walked through the front doors of the precinct into the cool, crisp summer evening. Sam leaned on the side of his truck, arms crossed over his sculptured chest. Oliver stood next to him, mirroring his posture.

"So, you wanna tell me what happened?" Oliver asked casually, knowing it was best not to push Sam; he'd talk when he was ready. Sam sighed, running his hand through his jet-black, spiky hair.

"Man, where do I start? Well, when Andy found out I was leaving, she was upset. She cornered me in the locker room, wanted to talk. We went into the observation room for privacy; we figured everyone had gone home, no-one would be using it."

"So, what did you talk about?"

"She wanted to know why, if it was something she did. I said, it wasn't her; it was me." _I can't believe I spilled my guts out to her, and now to Oliver. _ I told her I cared about her, but I could see she was happy with Callahan, so I decided to move on, clean break."

"I'm glad you were finally honest with her. What did she say?"

"She told me I was wrong, that she wasn't happy with Luke."

"Then why is she still with him?" Sam chuckled. _My thoughts exactly._

"That's exactly what I said. She said that she thought he was the safe choice; that if her heart wasn't in it, it wouldn't get broken and she wouldn't get hurt."

"Sounds like a coward's way out to me."

"Andy's no coward; she just wanted to save herself some heartache. Callahan's good for her; he's stable, going places; he's got the money to give her everything she desires. I'm just a bad-boy cop living pay-check to pay-check, she deserves better than that."

"Don't sell yourself so short, Sam. You are ten times better than that slime ball." Sam just shrugged. _I hate that he always put himself down; he needs to believe in himself. _"Tell me what happened next."  
>"She said it wasn't working with Luke because her heart belonged to someone else...to me. One thing led to another, and we ended up kissing."<p>

"About damn time," Oliver said, but stopped when he saw Sam's glare. "I'm guessing Luke walked in?" Sam nodded.

"He went berserk, saying that we'd been sleeping together for months, which is not true. He got physical with Andy, called her a slut, I just... I snapped."

"I don't blame you, bud. I'm just glad me and Jerry came in before Best did or you'll all be in trouble."

"If you hadn't pulled me off him, I don't know if they'd be anything left of him by now." Oliver knew that that would have been the case; he had never seen Sam beat someone so savagely, but it was definitely justified.

"I don't doubt that, mate. So, what are you gonna do about all this?"

"Nothing." Sam turned around, and pulled open the door of his truck. He jumped into the driver's side and slammed the door with such force the whole car shook. He wound down his window so he could continue to talk to Oliver.

"What do you mean nothing?" Oliver said, leaning through the car window. Sam scrubbed his hands over his face, trying to dispel the headache that was forming behind his tired eyes.

"What's the point? She's gonna go back to Callahan; she always does, and this conversation will be pushed to the back of her mind - another 'it was what it was' moment. At least I won't have to see them together for much longer."

"So, Andy spills her heart out to you, and you're just gonna walk away? What's wrong with you? Where's your fighting spirit? The Sam I know never gives up when something matters to him. You need to go in there and get your girl, Swarek, before it's too late!"

"Maybe I just don't have any fight left in me anymore," Sam said, as he put the key in ignition. Oliver moved away from the truck as it pulled out of the lot and went speeding off into the rush-hour traffic.

Jerry shoved Luke into the men's locker room, earning stares from the other officers in the room.

"Hey guys, can you give us a minute?" The other officers filed out of the room, leaving just Jerry and an injured Luke.

"Are you sure you're alright, man? Sammy boy worked you over pretty good," Jerry asked, handing him an ice-pack from his locker.

"I'm fine," Luke grumbled, wincing when the cold ice touched his badly bruised jaw. _Swarek's gonna pay for this, just wait 'til I get my hands on him!_

"So what did you do to piss off Sam this time?"

"Oh, nothing, except walking him with his hands all over _my _girlfriend!" Luke punched the locker in frustration, shaking off the pain it caused in his hand.

"What? No, Sam wouldn't do that, and Andy's no cheater... maybe you misunderstood," Jerry said, shocked at his friends' supposed actions.

"I walked in, he had her backed up against the mirror, his hands all over her. God knows what I would've seen if I walked in a few minutes later... Damn, how could Andy do this? When I get my hands on that backstabber..." Luke tried to storm out to find his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend, but Jerry stood in front of him, his hand firmly on Luke's chest, holding him back.

"Luke, mate, you're not thinking straight right now, and I don't want you doing anything stupid. I suggest you go home, sleep it off, and then confront them with a clear head, okay?" Luke was still seething, his chest rising heavily with his deep breaths, but he had to concede; Jerry had a point, there would be no point confronting them now, it would just end up in another fistfight, and he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't kill Sam this time.

"Alright, but I can't go home; Andy will probably be there, I'll just crash in my office. G'night," Luke said as he trudged off to his office, still holding the rapidly melting ice-pack to his aching face. Jerry watched him go, and then went in search of some answers.

Andy, after leaving the observation room, strode into the women's locker room, where Traci, after finishing her shift, was getting changed. She turned when she heard Andy come in.  
>"So, did you talk to Sam..." Traci trailed off when she saw Andy's face. "What happened?" Andy sighed, sinking onto a nearby bench, drained from the day's events.<p>

"A lot." Traci came to sit next to Andy, placing a comforting hand on her shoulders. Andy took a deep breath for launching into her recount of the night's activities. "You were right. He told me he was only leaving because he couldn't bear to see me with Luke. So, I did what you told me to, I spilled my heart to him. I told him that I and Luke would never work because I had feelings for someone else... for him. I apologized for pushing him away, and asked him to stay, and..."

"And...?"

"We kissed." Andy jumped out of her skin when Traci squealed with delight.

"About damn time." Andy glared at her, but when she saw Traci's smiling face, she had to laugh. She thought about the bolt of electricity that flowed through her body the moment her lips touched Sam's. As the memories kept moving, she remembered the look on Luke's face when he walked in. The memory soon wiped the smile of her face, and made her eyes well up as she thought about how much she had hurt him. Traci noticed the change in Andy's mood.

"Why are you so upset? Did Sam reject you? Oh, when I get my hands on him..." _No-one does that to my girl. _Traci rose off the bench, but Andy grabbed her arm pulling her back down. She quickly reassured her protective friend.

"No, he didn't, well I don't know, he didn't really get a chance to say anything before... Luke walked in."

"Oh my god, he didn't? Shit. What did he do?"

"He went completely berserk, started spouting all these lies, saying mean things... I've never seen him like that, it was scary."

"He didn't hurt you did he?" Andy glanced down at her wrist, where an ugly, purple-black bruise had formed in the shape of a large man's hand. Traci gasped when she saw the damage. Andy brushed it off.

"It's fine, it doesn't hurt that much."

"OK," Traci said, not convinced, but happy to drop the subject for now, because she sensed there was more to this story. "What happened next?"

"Luke said something, and Sam just snapped, punched him out. They got into it, until Oliver and Jerry stepped in."

"Jesus. Where are they now?"

"Jerry dragged Luke off into the locker room, and I think Oliver took Sam outside to cool off."

"Good. So, what are you gonna do?"

"I honestly don't know." Andy sighed heavily, her head in her hands. "One thing I do know is that I can't go back to Luke. It's not fair to lead him on anymore, when I'm in love with someone else. I have to end it."

"I agree you have to tell him... tonight." Andy sighed. _I so don't wanna have that conversation. _But she knew she had to. "What about Sam?"

"I don't know. I mean, I can't break up with Luke and just jump straight in the sack with Sam. I don't want that kind of reputation, and it would not be fair to either of them."  
>"I agree. But you do need to talk to him, at least to stop him from leaving." Andy nodded, standing up from the bench.<p>

"I know. Ugh, men," Andy sighed and Traci laughed. "Thanks, Traci." She hugged her friend.

"No worries. I'll be at the Penny if you need a drink or two later." Andy nodded, before leaving to find Luke. She was not looking forward to breaking the man's heart, but she knew it had to be done.

Andy scoured the virtually empty, darkened precinct looking for Luke. She saw a light on in his office, and knocked on the door.

"Come in," Luke said, after throwing a pillow on the lumpy couch that took up half of his small box of an office. Andy gingerly walked in, closing the door behind her. She stood awkwardly, shifting from one foot to another. "Look, Andy I'm sorry, you know, about what happened earlier... I don't know what got into me." He came to stand in front of her, reaching down to grab her hands. She winced as he touched the bruise on her wrist. "Oh, God, Andy, I'm really sorry." She pulled away, letting her hands drop to her sides. _He thinks he can just apologize and everything will be okay? He's got another thing coming. _

"It's a little late for that, Luke. You had no reason to flip out like that."

"No reason?" Luke said the anger from before bubbling to the surface once more. "After what I walked in on? You're lucky that's all I did," he yelled.

"It wasn't what you think. Sam and I were talking, and one thing led to another..."  
>"So it meant nothing?" Andy looked down at the ground, wringing her hands together. "I didn't think so."<br>"I'm sorry, Luke."

"It's fine, you two deserve each other, really. Go and nurse his wounds, I'm sure he's waiting for you," Luke said, his voice laden with sarcasm.

"Luke," Andy tried, but he put up a hand to silence her.

"Just go," he sighed, defeated, turning her back on her, throwing a blanket onto the couch. Andy opened the door, paused in the entryway before turning back to him.

"You don't have to sleep here; the house is yours, my name isn't even on the deed. I'll stay at my dad's." With that, she left, letting the door slam behind her, the sound echoing in the silence of the deserted station.

Andy burst through the doors into the parking lot, the cool breeze causing a slight shiver to ripple through her body. She glanced around and saw Oliver standing alone, looking a little bewildered. She hurried over to him.

"Hey Oliver. Where's Sam?" Oliver shook his head to clear his thoughts. He turned to see a slightly frazzled Andy.

"Err, he took off." _Damn; I gotta find him. _

"Did he say where he was going?"

"No, I assume he's gone home." Andy thanked Oliver, before she took off running in the direction of Sam's house.

"Good luck," Oliver called after her. "You're gonna need it," he muttered to himself with a chuckle. He shook his head and headed to his car, ready to put this long night behind him and get back to his family.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys! Thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter! I wasn't planning on uploading this so soon, but I didn't want to keep you guys in suspense any longer, lol!

I don't know when the next chapter will be up, as I am not feeling too good, so haven't got much writing done today. Hopefully, I'll feel better tomorrow and I'll catch up. As always, please review :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

Her feet were pounding hard on the pavement, her heart beating wildly in her chest, her breaths coming in short gasps as she turned the corner onto his street. She watched as the house numbers whizzed by her in a blur. She skidded to a sudden stop outside his modest semi-detached house. The house appeared pitch-black; no light was streaming through the gap between the closed curtains. She walked up the few steps to his front door and knocked the sound reverberating in the quiet night. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to ward off the growing cold.

"Sam," she called. "Are you in there?" She knocked again, this time louder. After receiving no answer, she moved round to the window, and peered in. The room was dark with no sign of movement. _Shit, he's not here. Maybe he's at the Penny; I'm sure he'd probably need a drink or two after today. Traci's at the Penny; I'll call her. _She took out her phone, pressed speed dial #2. It rang four times before a slightly intoxicated Traci picked up.

"Hey girl. How'd it go? You on your way here, or you and Swarek heading home for a little you know what?" Jerry, who was perched on the stool next to Traci, nursing a beer, looked at her with a raised eyebrow, which she just ignored.

"Not exactly. I broke it off with Luke, but when I went to find Sam, Oliver said he took off."

"He's probably home..."

"I'm there now; there's no-one here, the place is completely dark. I thought he might be with you; he might need a few drinks, you know."

"Well, I haven't seen him, but it is pretty packed in here. Hang on," Traci said. She stood up and did a quick sweep on the bar, coming up with nothing. "Nope, he's definitely not here." _Okay; so he's pissed, upset, confused... whatever, where would he go?_

"Do you or Jerry have any idea where he might have gone?" Traci turned to Jerry, and Andy heard a hushed conversation. "Sorry kid, Jerry said he has no idea where he might have gone."

"No worries. Have a good one," Andy said, disconnecting the call. She hit speed dial #3 for the third time that night, waiting as it rang out, finally going to voicemail. "This is Sam, leave a message." She slammed her phone shut, resisting the temptation to throw it on the ground. _Great, what now?_ Andy sat down on Sam's front stoop, tossing her phone between her hands as she thought about where Sam might have gone. _He could be anywhere; I can't run around town all night. He could've gone to his sister's; he said she lived in St. Catharine's. But, I have no way of reaching her. Ugh, why won't he answer his damn phone? _She decided to call the only other person who knew Sam better than she did - her Dad. She hit speed dial #1, and a groggy male voice said,

"Hello?"

"Sorry, Dad. Did I wake you?" Andy felt guilty; her Dad had been struggling with sleep since giving up the drink a few months ago. So far, he had stayed clean; but she knew he could fall off the wagon at any time.

"It's alright, kiddo, I was just dozing. What's up?" Tommy sat up from the sofa he had fallen asleep on whilst watching a hockey game. He shrugged his shoulders to work out the crick in his neck.

"You know Sam quite well, right?"

"Sure, I guess. Why, what's happened?" Tommy was well aware of his daughter's feelings for Sam, and he hoped nothing had happened to the handsome detective.

"I don't have time to explain right now, I just need to find him. Where would he go if he was angry or upset, you know, if he needed to cool off, think," Andy babbled, as her anxiety rose.

"Well, I'm not an expert of the inner workings of that guy's mind, but I do know that back in the day, when a case got to him, he'd go to the lake, said the fresh air cleared his head."

"Thanks Dad," Tommy almost hung up the phone when he heard Andy's voice. "Wait, Dad, would you mind giving me a ride?"

"Sure, kiddo. You can tell me what the hell this is all about." Andy told him the address, and sat back down on the stoop to wait for him. 

Tommy McNally pulled up in his beat-up pick truck ten minutes later. Andy pulled open the passenger side door and slid in. Tommy revved the engine and pulled away, heading for the lake.

"Okay kiddo. Tell me everything, from the beginning."

"That could take a while," Andy sighed, slumping down in her seat, resting her head on the cool glass of the window.

"That's okay; we've got all the time in the world." Andy took a deep breath and started to tell her father all the day's events.

"Wow," Tommy said once Andy had regaled him with the whole tale.

**"**Yeah," Andy said, rubbing at her eyes to chase anyway the tears that had formed. _Man, I've cried more times in the past 24 hours than I have my entire life. What's wrong with me?_

"Well, it's about time you two took your head out your asses and did something about your feelings."

"Thanks, Dad," she said sarcastically.

"I'm serious, honey. I know I wasn't the greatest Dad when you were growing up, and I'm trying to make that up to you. All I've ever wanted is for you to be happy, and I can tell that guy, what's-his-name?"  
>"Luke," Andy said exasperatedly, well aware that her father remembered his name; he always remembered everything, when he was sober that is.<p>

"Yeah, Luke. He acts all perfect-like, but there's something off about that guy. I can tell he doesn't make you happy. Sam, on the other hand, he may give off this bad-boy image, but inside he's got a kind heart and a good head on his shoulders." _Great, now I'm getting the third degree from my Dad of all people. _

"Look, I know I screwed up, choosing Luke. I was afraid, afraid of getting hurt. I thought Luke was the safe choice, that he'd never hurt me, and I ended up hurting him."

"Ah, he'll get over it. You need to do what's right for you," Tommy said as he pulled up to the lake, behind Sam's large truck. Andy peered through the windscreen into the murky darkness. The full moon offered just enough light to make out a silhouette lying on the shore, staring up at the starry sky.

"Thanks for the ride, Dad." Andy kissed his cheek, before jumping out of the truck.

"No problem, kid. You want me to stick around?"

"Nah, I'm good." _I'm sure Sam would not just leave me out here; even if things don't go according to plan. _

"Alright. Good luck, go get 'em," Tommy said. Andy slammed the door shut, and stepped back as he pulled away. 

She slowly walked over to where Sam was lying, hands behind his head, on the cobbled shore, looking up at the star-speckled sky. He was so engrossed in his own thoughts; he did not notice her approach until she gently sat down next to him, looking down into his misty, brown eyes, brimming with unshed tears. When he saw her staring, he furiously wiped them away, before sitting himself up on his elbows.

"Hey. How'd you find me?" _No-one else knows about this place... no-one except Tommy. _"Your Dad told you," he said as he made the connection. Andy nodded, not trusting her voice right now. "Good ole Tommy, how's he doing these days? Still in the program?" Andy swallowed thickly before answering.

"Yeah, he's been sober nearly four months now. It's like he's a different person, you know, how he used to be. It's still early days though."

"He'll stick with it," Sam said. "He loves you; all he wants is to make you proud, to make up for letting you down as a kid." Tommy had never told him these things, but he could see it written all over the guy's face. He was proud of Tommy for finally stepping up and doing right by his daughter, and he prayed that he would stick with it; if he didn't, he knew it would break Andy.

"Thanks, Sam," Andy said, giving him a small smile. A shiver rippled through Andy's body as the cool breeze blew across the lake. Sam saw and shrugged off his jacket, wrapping around her shoulders. Andy thanked him as she pulled the coat tighter around her body. They fell into silence, looking out at the calm water, the sound of birds chirping the only noise penetrating the tranquility. 

After several minutes, Andy realized she could not put it off any longer. They had to talk about what happened, but she did not how to bring it up. She looked down at Sam, who had laid back down, his hands now resting on his stomach. She saw his knuckles on his left hand were bruised and stained with dried blood where some had been cut open.

"That looks like it hurts," she said casually, gesturing to his hands when he looked at her confused. Sam just shrugged.

"You should see the other guy," he said jokily, and grinned when he saw Andy's mouth twitch into the slightest of smiles. She reached over and took his hand in hers, gently rubbing the dirt and blood from the wounds, apologizing she heard him wince.

"Thank-you for defending me," she said quietly, keeping her eyes on his hand.

"Luke had no right to say those things; he got what was coming to him." He squeezed her hand tight as a flash of anger ran through him when he remembered what Luke had called Andy.  
>"He was angry; he's not normally like that."<p>

"You're defending him?" Sam said incredulous. "After everything he did?" He dropped her hand, and moved to get up, but she grabbed his arm.

"Wait, Sam. I'm not defending him, I'm just saying, he was hurt, so he lashed out... I hurt him, I lead him on, and it was my fault." Sam knelt down in front of her, placing his uninjured hand on her cheek.

"This is not your fault, Andy. If it's anyone's, it's mine. I kept pushing you towards Luke because I thought he made you happy, but all I ending up doing was hurting all of us." She leant into his hand as he cradled her face. Her eyes glistened with tears, the vision of Sam's concerned smile blurred as the tears started to roll down her cheeks.

"His face when I told him it was over... I never meant to hurt him," Andy said, her voice breaking with sobs. Sam pulled her to him, her head resting on his shoulder, her tears soaking his tight black T-shirt. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

"I know, I know," he said, comfortingly, stroking her silky hair, breathing in the fresh lavender scent. His heart was racing at her close proximity, his mind reeling from her statement. _She broke up with Luke? Oh man, now there's nothing standing in our way. I'm not her TO anymore, she's single... _He looked down at Andy; her sobs had now subsided to just occasional sniffles. He placed a finger under her chin, lifting her vision to his. He looked down into her swimming, mocha eyes, puffy and red from the crying, her lips so inviting, he couldn't resist; he had to taste those lips again. Andy must have had the same idea because she raised her head to meet him, her lips capturing his with passion. Her lips were soft against his rough ones, with the lingering taste of the salty tears that were once pouring down her cheeks. His hand snaked up behind her neck holding her close as his tongue ran along her bottom lip. She opened her mouth readily, giving him access as the kiss deepened. Sam gently pushed Andy down until her back touched the soft ground, before sliding on top of her. His lips disconnected from hers, and attached to her neck, sucking on her pulse point until she let out a strangled moan. He ran his hand down her side to the hem of her T-shirt, lifting it up an inch and caressing the skin it revealed. A shiver ran through Andy's body at his touch. _Man, I'd forgotten how good this feels... I want this so bad, but I can't... not now. _Andy pushed Sam back with a firm hand to his chest.

"I can't," she said, her voice husky. She saw the flash of hurt in his eyes. "It's not that I don't want to... You don't know how much I want this, but... I just broke up with Luke, and it's just... it's too soon." Sam lifted himself off of her, sitting back on his knees.

"I'm sorry, I guess I got a little carried away," Sam said, sheepishly.

"I want to be with you, Sam; I just don't want to hurt Luke anymore than I already have." He nodded. "I also don't want to be the girl who jumps from one guy's bed to another's. I don't need that reputation around the station."

"No-one would think that, Andy," Sam said. Andy gave him a one-eyebrow-raised look. "Okay, well if they did, they wouldn't for long." Andy smiled at Sam's over-protectiveness. He came to sit beside her and took her hand in his.

"I understand, and I don't want this to be just a rebound relationship," Sam said. Andy opened her mouth to protest, but he put a finger to her lips. She sucked it into her mouth, smiling at his hitch of breath. _Man, she's such a tease. Focus, Swarek. _"I can't pretend this didn't happen though." _Please don't make me, Andy. _

"Me neither, I don't want to." Sam let out the breath he was holding.

"Okay. How about this? We take it slow, just see how things go. And keep it on the down-low at the station for as long as we can, of course." Andy nodded, happy with that arrangement. Sam stood up and reached out his hand to pull her up too. She grabbed his hand and he tugged her to her feet, her body nearly colliding with his, her face just inches from his. Sam gave her a chaste kiss, not wanting to lose control again. _Man, how am I gonna keep my hands off her._ He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Come on, I'll take you home," he said, leading her to his truck. He held the door open for her as she jumped in, before taking his seat behind the wheel.

"I don't have a home anymore," Andy said, averting her gaze to the window. Sam took his hand off the key in the ignition and turned towards her.

"It's your home too; Luke has no right to kick you out."

"No it's not. Luke bought it without me knowing; he wanted to surprise me. My name's not even on the deed. It's his house," Andy sighed. "And even if it wasn't, I wouldn't live there... it's not me." Sam wanted to ask her to stay with him, but knew that was too much too soon. "I'll just stay at my dad's 'til I get my own place." Sam nodded, started the car and sped off back towards town. 

Sam's truck pulled up outside Tom McNally's apartment twenty minutes later. He quickly jumped out and ran around the other side to open the door for Andy. He took a bow as she exited, before reaching out his hand to take hers.

"M'lady," he joked as he placed a kiss on her hand. She giggled in response then followed him as he walked up the steps of the building. Upstairs, Tommy had heard the truck pull up and was watching the couple's antics from his window. He saw Sam pull Andy in for a passionate kiss and grinned. _That's my girl. _After a minute, he saw the couple pull away and heard Andy's voice on the intercom. He buzzed her in, and went to the bedroom to fetch spare blankets to make up the extra room. Sam and Andy shared one more kiss as they whispered goodnight. He watched her go in before getting in his truck and speeding off into the night.


	7. Chapter 7: Part 1

Hey guys! Thanks for all the well wishes. I'm feeling much better now :). Here's the next chapter. I've split it into two parts because 1) It was getting too long, and this ends with a little cliffhanger to keep you guessing (I'm cruel, i know, lol!) and 2) I'm struggling a little with the last chapter (Ch8), so this'll mean I can stagger the chapters a bit, so I have more time to write, but I don't keep you waiting too long. Second part will be up soon. Hope you enjoy, and as always, please review :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: Part 1<strong>

The next day, Tommy dropped Andy off at the precinct. "Dad, you didn't have to drive me, I could've walked," Andy protested as she retrieved her bag from the back.

"No sweat, kiddo. I didn't want you to be late. Say hi to Sam to me," Tommy said, giving his daughter a wink before pulling out of the parking lot. Andy just shook her head and hurried inside. When she entered the station she saw Luke coming out of his office. _Shit, I really don't wanna deal with him right now. _She kept her head down, and hurried over to the locker room. She nearly made it inside, but Luke's voice behind her halted her escape.

"Andy, we need to talk," Luke said, gesturing for her to follow him to his office. _Wow, he looks like hell. _Andy closed the door behind her, taking in the state of both the office and her ex-boyfriend. The blankets on the couch/makeshift bed were rumpled, indicative of a restless night spent tossing and turning. Luke had dark bags under his eyes, a large bruise covering the left side of his jaw, and a weary, tired expression on his face, his normally confident demeanor shadowed by deep sadness.

"What do you want, Luke?"

"About last night, when I saw you kissing Swarek... I overreacted. I shouldn't have gone off on you like that, I'm sorry."

"It's alright Luke, I forgive you. You had every right to be angry."

"So does that mean we could get a second chance? I mean, kissing Swarek was just a mistake right? We can get past that, we did it before." Luke looked so hopeful; she felt so guilty for having to break his heart.

"I'm sorry, Luke. It's over, for good," Andy said, looking down at the floor, unable to watch the hope fade from his eyes. "I can't continue to lead you on when I have feelings for someone else, it's not fair. I should've ended it a long time ago; I'm sorry I hurt you. I hope someday you can forgive me, and that we could even be friends."

"Fat chance," Luke said, angry and embarrassed. "Get out." Andy tried to reach out to him, but he flinched away. She turned and opened the door. She turned back to say something but stopped when she heard Best's voice boom out across the bullpen.

"Swarek, Callahan, in my office now!" Sam who had just arrived moments before was busy chatting with Oliver and Jerry. He looked up when he heard his name and saw Best giving him a stern look. Sam knew what this was about; it could only be one thing. _Damn, how did Best find out about the fight? Probably Jerry and his big mouth. _Luke pushed past Andy and joined Sam as they headed into Frank's office.

"Okay, do either of you care to tell me what the hell went on last night?" Best yelled as soon as Sam had shut the door. Both Luke and Sam looked down at the floor sheepishly; they felt like two fourth graders being scolded by the school principal. When he realized neither man was going to admit what happened, Best decided to speak up.

"I'm sure you are both aware that what you did is very unprofessional. I should suspend both of you right now." They both looked up, shocked.

"Sir, you can't do that! It wasn't my fault; Swarek started it!" Luke said childishly. Best shook his head.

"What are you, eight?" He said sarcastically, and Sam had to hide his snigger. "I don't care who started it, or why it happened. I assume that matter is now resolved?" He looked at the men who nodded, albeit reluctantly on Luke's part. "Good. So, I will let you off with a warning for now. I do not want to hear about any more incidents involving you two, or there will be serious repercussions. Understood?"

"Yes sir," the boys chorused. Frank waved his hand, indicating they were dismissed. Luke stormed out, hurrying back to his office. Sam stayed behind.

Andy left Luke's office and entered the locker room to change into her uniform. She found Traci doing the same, and went up to her.

"Hey Trace," Andy said as she opened her locker, fishing out her uniform, after dumping her bag in the bottom.

"Hey girl. You find Swarek last night? What happened, you two an item yet?" Traci's voice rose with every question, her excitement bubbling up. A few of the other officers turned towards them curiously.  
>"Keep it down, will ya?" Andy said, laughing at her friend's excitement. When the curious officers had turned back to their lockers, she began to fill her friend in on the night's events. "After I talked to you, I called my Dad. He told me that, back in the day, Sam used to go to the lake whenever a case got to him. Dad drove me up there, and I found Sam crying on the shore."<p>

"He was crying?" Traci was shocked; she never would've pegged Sam for the crying type, he always seemed so strong.

"Yeah, I'm not sure why, he didn't talk about it. I guess he was worried I might go back to Luke, I don't know. Anyway, we talked - mostly about my Dad at first, avoided the heavy stuff for as long as possible, you know?"

"Typical Sam, closing ranks when things get tough. What happened when you finally did talk?"

"I told him I broke up with Luke," Andy said, remembering how she cried in Sam's arms, and how right it had felt. "He kissed me, and we started to get a little carried away... 'til I stopped it."  
>"What? Ah man, I was hoping to hear all about your steamy McSwarek sex on the beach!" Andy just laughed.<p>

"It's too soon to be doing anything like that, Trace. I'm still hurting over Luke, and I don't want this to be just a rebound relationship."

"So you guys are together?"

"Yes, but we're taking it slow. We both want this to last, so we don't want to rush it."

"That's a good idea."

"Also, we're going to try and keep this quiet for now. We don't want Best to break up our partnership or transfer one of us to another division..."

"So Sam's staying, he's not going to Guns and Gangs."

"Yeah, he's telling Best now."

"That's awesome. Does that mean there's not going to be a party tonight?"

"When have you ever known Sam to pass up free beer? No, the party's still on. Sam's gonna tell everyone there. So, can all of this just stay between us?"

"Sure, Hun, my lips are sealed." Traci gave Andy a tight hug, glad that her friend seemed to finally be happy. "Come on, we better get to parade." They finished getting ready before heading into the briefing room.

Back in Best's office, Sam was plucking up the courage to tell Frank about his decision. "Actually, sir. I wanted to talk to you about something," Sam said, a little apprehensive. His boss was already in a bad mood, and Sam knew what he had to say would only make him angrier.

"Make it quick, Sam. We have parade in five," Best said shortly, gesturing for Sam to take a seat. Sam did, his knee bouncing up and down showing his obvious anxiety.

"Well, sir. I've changed my mind about the transfer," Sam said carefully. He saw Frank stop filling out a form, his pen frozen on the page. He slowly lifted his head and Sam saw the anger and confusion in his eyes, and shrank back into his seat.

"What?" Sam cleared his throat, fidgeting in his seat. "You can't pull out now, Swarek!" Best sighed, pushing the paperwork away. "I thought this was what you wanted, why the change of heart?"

"Things have changed," Sam said evasively. He did not want to tell Best about Andy; he had promised to keep it quiet for now.

"This is about Andy, isn't it?" _Damn. Should've known I couldn't keep this from the boss. _Sam's reaction was enough to confirm Best's suspicions. "I can't just transfer you back, Sam. Boyd needs you to close the deal on the Sheppard case."

"Can't they get someone else?"

"Not at this short notice; besides you know all of the details of the case. Boyd assured me it would be a short op; you'd only be under for two, maybe 3 weeks tops. If after that, you still want to come back, I'll put it for the transfer."

"Thank-you, Sir." Sam said. He was annoyed that he still had to do the Sheppard case, but he was just glad Best didn't blow a gasket.

"You do understand that you'll never get this chance again, right, Sam? I can't have you jumping back and forth whenever you feel like it."

"I understand, Sir, and I'm sorry for messing everyone about. I know what I want now." _I want this to work with Andy, and I can't be with her when I'm constantly going undercover. _

"Good."  
>"Oh, and can we just keep this between us for now? I want to tell everyone at the party tonight," Sam said.<br>"Ah, so you don't miss out on the free beer? Very smart. Okay, I won't announce it at parade. Speaking of parade, we better get there," Best said, escorting Sam out of his office. They joined the others in the briefing room, and Best started handing out assignments. After he was done, he held his hand up to quiet the room.

"Alright guys, listen up. Before you go, don't forget about Sam's party at the Penny tonight at 8. We want to send Sammy boy off in style!" Best gave Sam a sly wink. "You have your assignments. Serve, protect and stay out of trouble." Everyone left the room to go about their jobs.

Andy met Sam outside, where he was leaning against the cruiser, arms crossed across his chest, flashing a gorgeous, full-dimpled grin. _Damn, why does he have to be so hot? How am I gonna keep my hands off him for 10 hours? _She chucked her bag in the back, and jumped into the passenger seat, whilst Sam took his place behind the wheel.

"Did Best rip you and Luke a new one?" Andy asked, as Sam pulled into the rush-hour traffic.

"Yeah, I felt like a naughty boy being told off by the principal," Sam laughed. "And afterwards, I had to make him even angrier by telling him about the transfer."

"Did he let you stay?" Andy was worried; she didn't know how she'd cope if Sam had to go undercover.

"Yeah, well... under one condition."

"What condition?"

"Frank says it's too late to pull out of the Sheppard operation," Sam said, and he heard Andy sigh. "I'm sorry, babe. I don't want to go, but, Boyd assured me, I'll only be under for two, maybe 3 weeks. I'll be back before you know it." He took her hand in his, and felt her give it a reassuring squeeze. He smiled back at her. _We'll get through this. _Their moment was interrupted when the radio crackled into life.

"Stand by for the hotshot. We have a B&E in progress at 5284 Bayview Ave, Bennington Heights. All available units respond." Sam reached for the radio and responded to the call.

"1505 responding, we're 10 minutes out." He placed the radio back into its cradle. "Light 'em up," he said to Andy, who flipped on the siren. The traffic parted before them like the Red Sea as they rushed off to the crime scene.

They arrived at the scene in record time. Andy leapt out of the car and headed towards the large house. Sam got up to join her, but the static from the radio caused him to pause. He turned up the volume, as the dispatcher started to talk.

"All units, please be advised, the suspect may still be on the premises. He is considered armed and dangerous." Sam's heart lurched, and he chased after Andy, catching up with her just as she approached the front door. The door was ajar, the wood splintered from a forced entry. They drew their weapons, and entered the property, screaming "Police!" Sam looked to Andy, indicating with his head that he would check downstairs, and that she should go upstairs. She nodded and headed up the grand staircase to the first floor. Sam cleared all the rooms on the ground level, noting the signs of ransacking, and the missing silverware from the dining room cabinet. Andy was checking the children's bedrooms when she heard a noise emanating from the master suite. She slowly walked over to the open door, her gun held out in front of her. When she reached the bedroom, she saw a tall, muscular guy, dressed in black, a ski-mask covering his face, searching through the owner's jewelry drawers. The man heard Andy enter the room, and turned towards her. When he saw she was a cop, he pulled a gun from the waistband of his pants.

"Police, drop your weapon!" Sam heard Andy shout and started up the stairs, his heart hammering in his chest. The man's eyes were black with evil as he leveled the gun to her chest. "I said, drop the weapon now!" The man's finger moved onto the trigger. _Shit, he's not going to back down._ Andy fired her gun twice into the man's chest. He stumbled backwards, his finger squeezing the trigger reflexively, hitting Andy in her upper stomach. They both fell to the floor. Sam, who had heard the gunshots, came running into the room. He saw Andy lying on her back, clutching her stomach, her face scrunched up in pain. _Oh God, please no. Not now, not when we just found each other, I can't lose her. _

"1505 to Dispatch, I need backup and an ambulance to my location immediately, officer down! I repeat we have an officer down!"


	8. Chapter 7: Part 2

Hey guys! I had a little burst of inspiration, and now have Chapter 8 and the Epilogue planned, and all I need to do is write them. So, I thought I'd post the second part of Chapter 7. Hope you enjoy, and as always, please review :)

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><p><em><strong>Previously:<strong>  
><em>

_"Police, drop your weapon!" Sam heard Andy shout and started up the stairs, his heart hammering in his chest. The man's eyes were black with evil as he leveled the gun to her chest. "I said, drop the weapon now!" The man's finger moved onto the trigger. Shit, he's not going to back down. Andy fired her gun twice into the man's chest. He stumbled backwards, his finger squeezing the trigger reflexively, hitting Andy in her upper stomach. They both fell to the floor. Sam, who had heard the gunshots, came running into the room. He saw Andy lying on her back, clutching her stomach, her face scrunched up in pain. Oh God, please no. Not now, not when we just found each other, I can't lose her. _  
><em>"1505 to Dispatch, I need backup and an ambulance to my location immediately, officer down! I repeat we have an officer down!"<em>

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: Part 2<strong>

"Copy that 1505, ambulance is en route; ETA is five minutes." He knelt down beside her, checking for blood or a wound of any kind.

"Sam," Andy gasped, struggling to find her breath. Sam ripped open her shirt, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the bullet was embedded in her Kevlar vest and not her flesh.

"You're okay, babe. The vest caught it. Just breathe, I've gotta clear the scene," Sam said, stroking her face. _I hate to leave her, but I've gotta do my job. _He got up and approached the masked man. He kicked the gun out of reach, and bent down to check for a pulse. Finding none, he went back to Andy, who was trying to get up.

"Whoa, babe, lie down," he said, pushing her down onto her back. "Just relax; the ambulance is on its way. You're gonna be alright, you're okay." Andy's breathing was slowly returning to normal. She grabbed Sam's hand and held it in a vice grip as the pain radiated from the point of impact. She'd never experienced this pain before. _I'm gonna have a nasty bruise in the morning. _She heard distant sirens, and the thunder of footsteps coming up the stairs. Oliver and Dov rushed into the room, followed by two paramedics.

"Suspect is down, no pulse," Sam said, and a paramedic went over to the dead man to pronounce. "Andy's caught one in the vest, she's severely winded, query broken rib." He stepped aside as the other paramedic checked on her, and headed over to Oliver. He sent Dov to collect witness statements, so he could take to Sam alone.

"You okay, mate?" Oliver asked. Sam nodded, his heart still beating wildly. He couldn't stop thinking about what could've happened if Andy wasn't wearing her vest, if the guy had hit her in the head instead of the stomach. He don't know what he would've done if he'd lost her. "Alright, tell me what happened."

"We responded to the call, found the door busted open. I told Andy to check the upstairs... man, why did I do that? Why didn't I take the first floor?"

"Hey, this is not your fault, Sam. Andy's fine," Oliver said, pointing behind Sam where Andy was arguing with the paramedics. Sam laughed. _That's my girl. _"Focus, man. What happened next?"  
>"I heard Andy shout so I went to investigate. Then I heard the gunshots..." Images flashed through his mind - Andy lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood. He swallowed down the lump in his throat that had formed. "I came in, cleared the scene, stayed with Andy until you guys arrived."<p>

"Alright. You better go with Andy, convince her to go to the hospital to get checked out."

"Ha, like that's gonna happen," Sam muttered as he headed over to Andy, taking her hand. Oliver watched the two interact, and something clicked in his head. _It's about damn time! _

"Andy, you should go to the hospital, you could have a broken rib!" Sam protested. Andy just looked at him with a "that's not gonna happen" look.

"Actually," the paramedic said wearily. "It looks like it's just badly bruised. As long as she's monitored, she doesn't have to go in." The paramedics packed up their stuff, and left.

"Alright guys," Oliver said, coming over to the couple. "Looks like a clean shoot, you'll definitely been cleared. But until then, desk work only."

"Yeah, yeah, I know the drill," Andy said, not looking forward to a week of desk duty. She nearly went stir crazy when she had to do it after her first shooting. Dov came back from taking witness statements, and went over to check on Andy.

"Hey kid. You okay?" Dov asked. Andy nodded. "You're gonna have a killer bruise in the morning." Andy laughed. Dov gave her a careful hug, glad that she was okay; Andy was like a sister to him and he didn't like to see her hurt.

"Sam, can I talk to you for a minute?" Oliver called. He left the two friends and walked with Oliver out into the hallway. "So, what's going on between you and McNally?" _Oh, shit, how the heck did he find out? _Sam decided to play dumb.

"What? Nothing's going on between me and McNally," Sam said, stuttering over his lie. _Smooth, Swarek. Real smooth. _

"Dude, you are such a bad liar," Oliver laughed. "But you're playing with fire. She's with Callahan, and that's a guy you don't want to mess with."

"She's not with Callahan anymore, okay? And yes, maybe something is going on, but we don't want everyone to know yet, so keep your mouth shut." Oliver held his hands up in surrender.

"Okay, okay. I'm happy for you, man. And of course, I won't tell a soul. But, just so you know, if you hurt her..."  
>"I'll have the whole station gunning for me, I know. Don't worry, I'd rather die than let anything happen to her," Sam said, looking over at Andy, who was laughing at one of Dov's jokes, with love in his eyes. Oliver clapped his friend on the back, and they went back to work.<p>

Sam and Andy left Oliver and Dov to finish working the scene, and headed back to the station. Andy barely made it in the door before she was bombarded by her fellow rookies.

"Hey Andy," Gail said. "We heard what happened. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Takes more than a bullet to keep this girl down," Andy joked, but Sam could see she was still in shock over the incident. He left her with her friends and headed into the locker room to change. Once he was back in his street clothes, he went into the women's locker room to wait for Andy. She walked in a few minutes later. Her eyes widened when she saw Sam leaning against her locker, his tight black T-shirt accentuating his smooth, muscular chest, flashing a full-dimpled grin. _God, it should be illegal to be that fine. To think, I came this close to never seeing that gorgeous smile ever again..._

"Hey babe," Sam said when she reached him, the smile falling off his face when he saw the look in her eyes.  
>"Hey," Andy sighed. The day's events were wearing on her; she was exhausted. Sam took her in his arms, and held her close, careful of her bruised abdomen.<p>

"Are you sure you're ok?" He felt her nod against his chest, but the tears trickling down her cheeks told a different story. "I was so scared, when I heard the gunshots, when I saw you lying there... I just don't know what I would've done if... Let's just say, if that guy wasn't already dead, I would've killed him myself." Andy pulled away, looking up into his eyes.

"I'm just glad it wasn't you." He gently wiped the tears from her eyes, cradling her face in his hands. Too choked up for words, Andy crushed her lips to his, showing how she felt with her actions, with her heart. Sam responded eagerly, drinking her in, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. They were soon interrupted by someone clearing their throat. They broke apart to see Traci entering the locker room. Sam's eyes widened; wracking his brains to think of an excuse.

"Hey Nash, err, I can explain..." Sam stuttered. Andy laughed at her boyfriend's discomfort and decided to put him out of his misery.

"Relax babe, she knows," Andy said, extricating herself from his arms.

"What? You told her?"

"Yeah, I don't keep secrets from my best friend. Didn't you tell Oliver?" She remembered seeing the two of them talking at the scene earlier, and from the way Oliver kept smirking at them, it didn't take a genius to figure out that he knew about their relationship.

"I didn't tell him... he figured it out on his own. He won't tell anyone though," Sam assured them.

"Well, if you guys are hell bent on keeping this quiet, you might wanna be a little more discreet," Traci said, smirking. "Although, I'm sure the whole station will know soon enough; nothing stays secret at the 15th."

"You better go," Andy said to Sam, who pouted. "Before someone else walks in and catches us. Besides, me and Traci need to get ready for your party later." Andy playfully shoved him towards the door.  
>"Fine," Sam said, sulkily. He started to leave but Andy pulled him in for one more breathtaking kiss. After she pulled away, Sam left with a goofy grin on his face. Andy and Traci laughed at his childish ways, and then busied themselves getting ready for the celebration at the Penny.<p> 


	9. Chapter 8

Hey guys! Here's the next chapter. I know I said it would be the last one, but it's not lol! Every time I think I've finished, I get a new idea, and the story just keeps going lol! So, they'll be another two chapters to wrap this all up. And about that, I have a question for y'all. In the summary for this story, I said that I might up the rating to M, depending on where I took the story. Well, a few of you have expressed your desire to see Sam and Andy consummate their relationship, so my question is simple - Smut or no smut? I would be happy to write a smut/love scene, but I know that's not to everybody's liking. So, please lemme know in a review whether you want a smut scene in the next chapter. If some people say no, I'll keep it PG, I don't want to lose any readers by bumping it to M. So, please review and lemme know. Thanks. And now, without any further ado...

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

Two hours later, the Black Penny was buzzing with activity as the entire 15th division gathered for Sam's leaving celebration. Noelle and Frank were sitting rather cozily at one table; Jerry was sitting at another, nursing a beer waiting for Traci. Oliver and Dov came in fresh from the robbery scene earlier. Oliver joined Jerry at the table, whilst Dov went to the bar where Gail and Chris were talking. Chris had been released from the hospital a few days earlier after being stabbed during the Bergen operation, and was healing well. He wouldn't be back on duty for a few more weeks, but he wanted to come and celebrate Sam's promotion with everyone else. The door opened and in walked Traci and Andy, dressed up for the occasion. Everyone's heads turned as they approached the tables. Jerry stood up when he saw Traci, roaming her body with his eyes.

"Wow, you look amazing," Jerry said as he took her hand. Traci smiled, a blush rising up her cheeks. She was dressed in a low-cut, turquoise halter top, and bootleg jeans. She finished the look off with black boots and natural make-up, her hair falling in waves over her shoulders.

"You clean up pretty good, too, detective." Jerry smiled, and signaled to the bartender, who poured fresh drinks for both of them. He picked them up and brought them to the table. Luke arrived next, and headed straight to the bar, in desperate need of a drink as the events of the last couple of days weighed on him. He didn't know how he could go from happily involved to miserably single in 48 hours. He glanced around and saw Andy was talking with Gail and the boys at the bar. She looked beautiful, and he felt a pang of sadness settle in his chest.

"Chris, it's good to see you up and about, how are you doing?" Andy asked.

"I'm good, thanks. Although, I think I should be asking you that question, we heard about the shooting, are you okay?"

"Yeah, nothing's broken, just badly bruised," Andy said, rubbing her side where a nasty contusion was still forming.

"Thank God for bulletproof vests, hey?" Dov said, and Andy nodded. She didn't want to think about what would've happened if she hadn't been wearing hers. "So, where's the man of the hour?" Chris asked, looking around the bar for Sam.

"I just left him at the station; he said he'd be here soon." Gail gave her pointed look, but she just shrugged it off. Andy got herself a drink, and joined in the conversation as they all eagerly awaited Sam's arrival. Fortunately, they did not have to wait long, as a few minutes later, the suave, dark-haired detective made his entrance. The room erupted in applause as he made his way to the front of the bar. He jumped on top of the counter, nearly knocking Luke's drink over in the process. Luke's fists clenched as he reined in his anger. _Not the time or place, Callahan._ Luke signaled to the bartender, who poured him a shot of scotch, which he quickly down. Sam got the attention of his captive audience. He saw Andy in the crowd, and he gave her a small smile, which she returned. _God, she looks incredible._ She was dressed in a simple, low-cut black dress that tapered off just above her knees. Her two-inch high heels accentuated her legs, making them seem to go on forever. Her make-up was subtle, with smoky eyes, and her hair flowed around her face in gentle curls. Dov started yelling, "Speech! Speech!" Chris joined in, but the boys were soon silenced by a death glare from the boss. Sam cleared his throat, trying to remember the speech he had prepared in his head on the drive over.

"Hey guys," he started nervously, although he wasn't sure why. These were his friends, his family; they would be happy with whatever he chose. "Thanks for being here, to celebrate my promotion. However, some things have changed. Six months ago, when I was burned off the Bergen operation," Sam looked up and caught Andy's eye, and saw her look away. _I can't believe she still blames herself for that. _"I would've jumped at the chance to join the Guns and Gangs taskforce, to do what I love, going undercover. But, if I'm honest, I don't think I want that anymore. Getting burned was the best thing that ever happened to me, because it gave me a new life, a better life, better than living in grungy apartments, dealing with the scum of the Earth, hoping and praying for a break. It gave me the best friends I could ever ask for, a family, something which I hadn't had in a long time." He felt his throat constrict with the emotion of his words. _Ah great, here I am, getting all mushy in front of everyone. _The room was silent, everyone captured by Sam's moving speech, except, of course, for Callahan, who was trying very hard not to jump up and wipe that smug look off that bastard's face. He signaled to the bartender, who gave him another shot.

"Leave the bottle," Luke slurred. The bartender did reluctantly, making a mental note to keep an eye on the detective.

Sam cleared his throat, and carried on. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, a good friend convinced me that I have a lot to live for, and a lot to look forward to." He caught Andy's eye again, hoping she would understand the double meaning behind his words. "So, I've decided to pass on the promotion. I still have to follow through with the Sheppard operation, boss's orders, but that operation will take 3 weeks, and then I'm back on the streets. I guess you're stuck with me, because I'm not going anywhere." The room was quiet for a few moments, everyone too stunned to speak. Luke downed the shot in front of him, savoring the strong taste as it burned down his throat. He was banking on Sam going undercover, so he could convince Andy to come back to him. _That guy gets everything - the job, the popularity, the girl... God, it sounds like high school all over again._ Sam was starting to get uncomfortable, standing on the bar; feeling everyone's gaze on him. Frank decided to break the silence, and stood up, starting a slow clap. Everyone soon joined in, until the room exploded in applause and cheers. Sam let out a big sigh of relief, jumped off the bar and walked into the crowd.

Everyone congratulated Sam, and expressed their happiness that he was staying. After he had done the rounds, he made his way over to Andy, who was leaning against the back wall, watching everyone enjoy the free drinks. Sam came up beside her.

"Nice speech, not exactly Oscar-worthy, but close," Andy said and Sam laughed, discreetly taking her hand, rubbing circles over the back with his thumb.

"I meant every word," he said seriously, watching the understanding cross her face. Oliver came over, interrupting their little moment.

"Sorry to interrupt the eye-sex you got going on here, but I believe Sammy here owes me a beer." Sam looked at him, confused. Oliver put his arm round Sam's shoulders, and leaned in so no-one else would hear. "Remember our little bet? If Andy dumped Callahan within a month of them moving in together, you would buy me a beer? I won, so you need to pay up."

"You bet on me?" Andy said, surprised. The boys just looked away sheepishly. Andy decided to file away that knowledge, and ask Sam about it later.

"Well, since drinks are free tonight, I'm not sure it counts, but sure, Oliver, a bet's, a bet. Come on." Sam let go of Andy's hand and took Oliver to the bar to get him his beer. Oliver took full advantage and ordered a pint of the most expensive beer in the joint, much to the bartender's chagrin. Sam ordered a pint of lager and headed over to talk to Best and Noelle. Andy stayed at the back of the bar, observing everyone, all these people who had become her family over the last eight months. When she first graduated from the academy, and joined the 15th division, she was just a scared kid; the daughter of a washed up alcoholic ex-cop who would do anything to live up to the McNally name. Now, her father was sober, she was no longer a rookie, she was a respected police officer with several busts under her belt, and she had a man who loved her more than anything, who would always be there for her, no matter what. And, for the first time in her life, Andy McNally was happy. Sam kept stealing glances at Andy, unable to keep his mind focused on the story his boss was telling about his own rookie days. Occasionally, she would spot him looking at her and flash that dazzling smile that made him weak at the knees. Finally, when he couldn't take it anymore, he headed over to her, drink in hand. When he reached her, he nuzzled his nose into her hair, inhaling her sweet scent, and whispered in her ear.

"Are you trying to drive me crazy? How am I supposed to keep my hands off you when you're dressed like that?" His husky voice made Andy's knees buckle. She turned towards him and saw he was looking her up and down with his signature cheeky grin. She hit him playfully in the chest, and he feigned hurt. She flashed back to her conversation with Traci in the locker room before she came.

_Traci walked out of the bathroom towards Andy who was fixing her make-up at her locker. Andy turned towards her best friend and nearly dropped her mascara. _

_"Whoa, Trace, you look incredible!" Traci blushed. "Jerry's gonna be blown away." _

_"Well, that's the idea," Traci said, laughing. Her re-connection with her ex Dex had not lasted long. All they did was fight, until finally Leo said he'd rather have his parents separated and happy, than together and miserable. And he thought having two bedrooms was kinda cool. This was the wake-up call Traci needed; she realized she was only with Dex to make Leo happy, and all it was doing was making everyone miserable. So, she and Dex went their separate ways, and Traci was looking forward to making it up to Jerry tonight. _

_"You look amazing too, girl! Swarek's not gonna know what hit him," Traci said, as she attached some gold earrings to her ears. "Just make sure he doesn't rip the dress when you have your way with him tonight." _

_"Trace," Andy said exasperatedly, trying to banish thoughts of a certain night when she had come very close to 'having her way' with Sam Swarek. "I told you, me and Sam are taking it slow."  
>"Yeah, yeah, I know, and I don't suggest you jump his bones just yet..."<br>"But..." Andy sensed there was more; with Traci there always is._

_"Don't be a total prude; give him a little taste. Keep 'em wanting more, that's my motto." Andy laughed as she finished her make-up. They slammed their lockers shut, and walked arm-in-arm out of the precinct, blushing when she saw the other officers gawping at them like hounds drooling over a prime rib steak. _

"Well, if you behave yourself, I might give you a little taste later," she said coyly, smiling Sam's widened eyes. She waltzed off to mingle with the other rookies.

"Ugh, she's gonna drive me mad," he muttered before hurrying off to join the other detectives.

Andy opened the door and walked out into the cool night air, leaning against the cold, brick wall on the side of the bar. She breathed in deep, closing her eyes to calm her mind. So much had happened in the past few days: she broke up with Luke, finally admitted her feelings to Sam, and then was shot. It was a lot to take in, and she could tell it was draining her, both physically, having not slept much the last few days, and emotionally. She heard the door open again and didn't need to her eyes to know who was there, she could feel his presence. When she finally did open them, she saw him standing mere inches away, his manly scent enveloping her.

"Hey," he said, a small smile playing on his lips. She looked up at his kind face, and instantly felt better. "What're you doing out here?"

"Just needed some fresh air, you know, clear my head; it was getting kinda wild in there," Andy said, placing her hands on his chest as he played with a wisp of her hair.

"Yeah," Sam laughed. "I don't think I've ever seen Frank loosen up so much, although he has had a few."

"Well, that's what happens when you have an open bar," Andy laughed with him. Her hands were absently roaming his chest, admiring the taut muscles she felt beneath his tight, black T-shirt. She felt his breath hitch and saw his eyes darken. His hand slid to the back of her neck, pulling her up to him for a heated kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. He pulled her close, his body pinning hers to the wall, as the kiss increased in passion. When the need for oxygen became too great, Sam ripped his lips from hers, only to attach them to her neck, tracing a line of wet kisses down her jaw line, sucking on her pulse point just behind her ear. Andy raked her hands through his hair, her skin on fire from where his lips had been.

They heard the back door slam, and Sam pulled back. What they didn't realize was that Luke had been watching. He'd seen Andy leave, and gone to follow her, leaving an almost empty bottle of scotch on the bar, but saw that Sam had beaten him to it. He'd watched their conversation and subsequent make-out session, the anger slowing take over his body, bubbling up in his heart until he couldn't take it anymore. He walked up to them, and Sam turned around. He saw Luke's clenched fist and stern look, and stood in front of Andy, protecting her from Luke's wrath. Turned out, it was Sam who would need protecting, as without saying a word, Luke pulled his fist back and crushed it into Sam's face, smiling satisfied with the bone-crushing squelch he heard. Sam stumbled back, leaning against the wall for support, his hand on his nose, which was now pouring with blood.

"Luke, what the hell? You could've broken his nose!" Andy looked at Luke, who was panting heavily, watching with satisfaction as Sam moaned in pain.

"He nearly broke my jaw," Luke retorted. "I guess we're even now, hey, Swarek?" Sam pushed himself off the wall and walked up to Luke.

"Not even close," Sam growled. Ignoring the searing pain in his knuckles, Luke pulled his fist back, intending to land a second blow, but Andy jumped in front of Sam, stopping Luke in his tracks.

"Go ahead, Luke, hit me," Andy said, with calm, seething anger. She had enough of Luke's childish gung-ho attitude. He didn't understand that violence would get him no-where; in fact, it was just solidifying Andy's decision in her mind that Luke was not who she was meant to be with. Sam struggled to his feet, trying to pull Andy away, but she shrugged him off.

"Andy, please," he pleaded. She had already been shot today; he did not want her to get hurt again.

"Don't worry, Sam. Luke's not gonna hit me, are you?" Andy took Luke's bruised hand, still poised mid-air and pulled it down, feeling a little resistance, before Luke dropped it, defeated. Andy could smell the alcohol coming off him in waves; realized he'd probably had a few too many. _Remind me never to have an open bar ever again. _

"Andy," Luke said, but her look caused the words he wanted to say to fade from his mind.

"Just go home, Luke, before you do something else you'll regret," Andy said, watching as Luke stumbled away. She turned to Sam, who was still leaning against the wall, pinching the bridge of his nose to stem the still steady flow of blood.

"Is it broken?" Andy asked, worried. The blood just seemed to keep coming. After a few minutes, it started to clot and Sam was able to move his hand away. The damage looked bad. His nose was bloody and misshapen. His T-shirt was soaked, and his hands were crimson red; it looked like something from a horror movie.

"How does it look?" Andy's look told him everything he needed to know.

"Come on, we should get you to the ER," Andy said, grabbing his bloody hand and pulled him towards his truck.

"No, Andy. It's fine; this isn't the first time I've been sucker-punched in the nose, it's not broken." He saw Andy's look and conceded. "Okay, if I have any problems, I'll go to docs. Right now, I need to get to bed; I have to get up early to go over the final details of the Sheppard operation with Boyd."

"You're starting the operation already?" Andy asked, shocked. She did not like how things were moving so fast; she wished time would just stop so she could wrap her brain around everything.

"No, not yet, I still have a few days. They don't want to send me in until they're 100% sure; so we'll start off with surveillance. Don't worry; I would never leave without saying goodbye to you." Andy smiled. "Come on, I'll take you to your dad's. Hop in," Sam said as he climbed into the driver's seat.

"Shouldn't we go in and say goodbye? You can't just duck out of your own party, without telling them you're leaving." They could hear loud music and people shouting coming from inside the bar. Sam turned to Andy.

"I don't think they'll miss us." She laughed as she joined him in the car. Andy did have a point, however, so he pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Oliver saying, _"Ducking out early, got a meeting with Boyd in the morning. Taking Andy to her Dad's, in case the rookies worry where she is. Have a good night. Sam." _He put his phone back in his pocket, and pulled away.

Sam dropped Andy off at her dad's place, giving her a last kiss goodnight, before heading home to his own apartment, his nose still throbbing. _God, when will that guy give it up? Oh well, at least it'll give me a little street cred when I go undercover. _Sam cleaned himself up and climbed into bed, soon falling asleep, haunted by dreams of Andy, and what had almost happened in the Black Penny's parking lot.

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><p>Don't forget to review and answer my question, smut or no smut? Thanks, x<p> 


	10. Chapter 9

Hey guys! Sorry this took so long. I finished it last night, but I've been out with the 'rents all morning at the Tropical Butterfly House and Bird of Prey Centre. It was really fun, got to hold a tawny owl and a snake! Anyway, onto the chapter. As you can see, the rating has been raised to M, because there is a smut/love scene in this chapter. It's my first time writing smut, so I hope I did it justice. Please, as always, review :) x

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

Six weeks later, Sam stood outside a three-storey walk-up, the rain beating down, soaking through his jacket, chilling him to the bone. He pulled his jacket snugly around him, fighting off the biting cold. He walked up to the door, and poised his finger on the intercom. Just before he pressed the button for Apartment 6, he saw the door open as another resident left. He turned away, so they didn't see him. _Never mind, I'll surprise her. _He stopped the door from closing and slipped in. He ascended the stairs, taking them two at a time, excited to see his girlfriend after no contact for nearly two months. The Sheppard operation had taken longer than expected, after encountering some unforeseen problems - it had taken Sam time to gain the trust of the organization. He'd had to rescind all contact with Andy a few weeks in, as it got too dangerous. Not seeing her was torture, but, he never would've forgiven himself if she had gotten hurt because he'd been careless. He'd rather spend a few weeks without her, than an eternity alone. He did manage to sneak a few discreet phone calls; and just hearing her voice kept him sane. Finally, they found the evidence to topple one of Toronto's most infamous drug dealers and weapons trafficker, Jonathan Sheppard, who went by Shep, and bring him in, along with his right-hand man, Adam "Van the Man" Vandemark, and several of his henchmen. Sam was glad it was over, and he could get back to his normal life, and more importantly, back to Andy. He had missed her more than anything else in the world, and couldn't wait to have her in his arms again. He finally reached the third floor, and walked down the corridor to the door at the end of the hall. He traced the gold lettering on the solid, wood door, securely locked with several dead bolts. He knocked, praying that she was in. He hadn't called ahead; he was too desperate to see her. Plus, he wanted it to be a surprise. He heard a muffled, "Hold on," as Andy shuffled to the doorway. He saw her look briefly through the peephole, before swiftly unlocking the dead bolts.

"Hey babe," Sam said as she swung the door open. He'd barely got the words out before Andy threw herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, burying her head in the crook of his neck. "Good to see you too," he chuckled. "Can I come in?" Andy pulled away, a blush creeping up her face, and grabbed his hand, pulling him into the apartment, Sam kicking the door shut behind them.

"I'm so glad you're back," she said, pulling him in for a deep kiss. Sam responded eagerly, relishing the feel of her soft lips moving across his, the taste of her cherry lip-gloss; he was in heaven. When the need for oxygen became too great, they pulled away. Andy smiled, licking his taste off her lips, before she turned and locked the door. He looked at her curiously, gesturing to the heavy-duty bolts. She shrugged.  
>"Never can be too careful," she said, heading over to the small kitchen. Andy had moved in only a week before, after a lengthy house-hunt. It wasn't in a particularly rough neighborhood, but, after all she'd seen on the job, she still did not feel completely safe here; it did not feel like home. "You want a beer?" Sam nodded, and shrugged off his, still wet, jacket. He hung it up on the back of the door, before taking a seat on the couch. Andy grabbed two beers and flicked off the caps before handing one to him. He took a long swig, feeling the cool liquid slide down his parched throat. She came and sat beside him, taking a sip from her own beer. He slung his arm around her shoulders and she curled into his chest, resting her head on his shoulder. He placed gentle kisses in her hair, breathing in her scent.<p>

"It's really over?" Andy had been so worried; she had never been a nail-biter, but she'd gnawed her beautifully manicured nails down to the cuticle the last few weeks, anxiously waiting for Sam to close the case.

"Yeah. Sheppard and Vandemark are locked up until their arraignment. The case is rock solid; we've got them dead to rights. If I have my way, they'll never see the light of day again."

"Good," Andy said, as she snuggled closer. _God how I've missed this. _They stayed like that, cuddled together, for a while, both content just to be in each other's company, neither needing to speak. Sam took this time to look around her new apartment – the large, open living room with plasma TV, small kitchen with breakfast bar, and a long hallway, which presumably lead to the bedroom and bathroom. He looked over at the wall opposite the kitchen, where she had hung several pictures; one was of all the rookies outside the academy on Graduation Day, another of a young Tommy, with a pretty, little girl, obviously Andy, on his lap. _She was so adorable back then... what am I saying? Of course she was; she still is. _

"Nice place, McNally, it's very you."

"It's okay, I guess. It's cheap and clean... but it's not home." She sighed. _No-where has felt like home for a long time. The only times I've ever come close are when I'm with Sam. _She looked up at him, followed his gaze to the pictures. His vision stilled on the last picture, a candid shot of them at the Penny. It showed Andy laughing whole-heartedly at one of Sam's lame jokes, surrounded by Oliver, Jerry, and the other rookies. Traci had taken it one night, without their knowledge, and given it to Andy. She'd kept in hidden when she lived with Luke, knowing it would just set him off, but now she was proud to display it, to remember one of the many happy times with Sam and her friends. They placed their empty beers on the coffee table.

"I don't remember that being taken," Sam said curiously. He studied the picture, noting how happy they both looked.

"Traci took it a couple of months ago, she said we both looked so cute, she couldn't resist," Andy laughed.

"I agree," Sam said. "Then again, you always look beautiful to me." She looked up at him, and saw the sincerity in his eyes. He lowered his lips to hers in a tender kiss, but when he tried to pull away, Andy placed a hand at the back of his head, pulling him in closer. Her tongue ran along his bottom lip, asking for access, which he instantly granted. Their tongues dueled, fighting for dominance, dancing without music. Sam ran his fingers through the soft waves of her hair, whilst her hands roamed his chest, feeling his taut muscles ripple under her touch. Andy sat up and swung her leg over his to straddle him, never breaking from the kiss. Sam's hands moved to her waist, lifting the hem of shirt up, just an inch, to reveal the tanned, silky-smooth skin beneath. He ran his hands over her sides, grinning against her mouth when he felt her shiver under his fingertips. Andy pulled her lips from his mouth, trailing kisses down his jaw and neck, sucking hard, until a red mark could be seen. She soothed the spot with her tongue, causing a strangled moan to escape from Sam's lips. His head lolled back, his breaths coming in gasps, as he fought to remain in control. It didn't help that Andy was squirming in his grasp, rubbing over his groin, causing a jolt of electricity to shoot through his body. _If she doesn't stop soon, I'm not going to be able to either. _He knew he had to get a handle on the situation; he did not want his first time with Andy to be rushed, and for her to regret it in the morning. He thought back to the night of the blackout, how crushed he'd felt when he came back from turning off the TV and living room lights to see Andy pulling her tank top back over her head. The look in her eyes - guilt and embarrassment, had broken his heart. He did not want that to happen again; he couldn't take her walking out because he'd pressured her into sex too quickly. Whilst a million thoughts were running through Sam's head, Andy had recaptured his mouth, nibbling on his bottom lip, driving him crazy with lust. He placed his hands on her shoulders, gently pushing her back until she released his lips, settling back on his lap. They both sat, catching their breath for a few moments. Andy grinned, her eyes dark with passion, as her hands slid down his chest to his belt buckle. She started to undo the clasp, but Sam pulled her hands away, holding them in his. She looked at him curiously, with a hint of worry. _Why did he stop? Does he not want this? Don't make this another "It was what it was" moment, Sam, please. _

"Andy, we can't do this," Sam said, and he could feel Andy's heart break. "It's not that I don't want to," he reassured her, still holding onto her hands to stop her from bolting. "It's just, when I said we should take it slow, I meant it. I don't want to screw this up by rushing into something you're not ready for." Andy sighed. _He was just trying to protect me; to be a gentleman_. But, Andy had been thinking a lot about her relationship with Sam the past few days. She knew it was still early days, but they had known each other for nearly a year now, and she trusted him with her life, she loved him more than anything, and she was ready to take it to the next level. _I just hope he is too._

"But I am ready," Andy protested. "I've waited so long for this. When you were undercover, all I could think of was what if you got hurt? Would I ever get to hold you again, would we ever get to be with each other, would I ever get to tell you how much you mean to me?" Sam's eyes widened at her candid admission. "I trust you with my life, Sam, and with my heart, and I am sick of waiting. I am ready for this. Are you?" Sam could see the worry in her voice at that last statement. He pulled her down to him, looking deep into her eyes.

"I've never been more ready in my life." He whispered, as he pulled her into a passionate kiss. She wrapped her legs around him as he stood up, and headed for the bedroom.

Holding her tight, they stumbled down the hallway. Andy's bedroom door was slightly ajar. Sam kicked it open with his foot, sending it swinging into the wall with a loud bang. He walked into the dark room, standing at the foot of the bed, moonlight the only illumination casting shadows across the floor. Andy slipped from his grasp, falling onto the bed gracefully. She lay back, as Sam stripped off his tight black T-shirt, revealing his toned chest. He threw the top to the other side of the room, and looked back to Andy, whose eyes were roaming his chest, dark with desire.

"See something you like, babe?" Andy giggled. _Most definitely. _She pulled her own tank top over her head, as Sam climbed on top of her. He recaptured her lips, kissing her hard and rough, his desire increasing. Andy's hands were all over him, stroking, teasing; he felt as if his whole body was on fire, her whimpers and quiet moans driving him crazy. He lifted her up slightly, so he could reach around to unclasp her bra. The tiny hooks gave little resistance to Sam's experienced hands, and the garment soon fell loose. It too joined the other clothes in the pile on the floor. Sam took a moment to admire the beautiful woman beneath him, and saw Andy shy away self-consciously. _Andy being shy? Never thought I'd see that. _He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "You're beautiful," Sam said, his voice thick with lust, but Andy could hear the love and sincerity; it made her blush even more. She pulled him down for more kisses, as his hands began to explore the newly exposed skin. His touch as light as a feather, he trailed his fingertips down her jaw and neck to her chest and took her left breast in his hand, noting how perfectly it fit in his palm. His lips followed his hand, trailing hot, wet kisses down her skin. Andy hissed with pleasure as he took her hard nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue until she squirmed and moaned. He moved over to the right breast, still working the left with his hand.

"Sam," Andy sighed, her voice a mixture of arousal and frustration. He chuckled. He still wanted to tease her more, but her hands had already traveled down to his belt, pulling it undone. She made quick work of the buttons and zipper, tugging his jeans down as far as she could, so he could kick them off. Her hands slipped down inside his navy boxers to grasp his growing hardness. She gave a few long, firm strokes, hearing a rumbled moan bubble up through his chest. This only encouraged her. She tugged his boxers off, casting them aside, and started to pump his cock faster, rubbing her thumb over the tip to gather the glistening pre-cum. She sucked the thumb into her mouth, licking it off teasingly, moaning at the taste. _Man, if she keeps this up, I'm not gonna last much longer. _Sam decides to speed things up a little. He fumbled with the buttons of her jeans, making her laugh at his clumsiness. He shot her a glare, before flashing a triumphant smile when he finally undid the pants and pulled them down, along with her wet panties. He saw how ready she was for him, and thrust a finger deep between her slick folds, hearing her moan at the contact. He added another finger, feeling her muscles tighten around them. He pumped harder, bringing her to the edge of climax, rubbing her throbbing clit with his thumb.

"Oh, God, Sam," Andy breathed, bucking into his fingers as the knot tightened in her stomach. Just as she reached the edge, he pulled out, licking her wetness off his fingers. She moaned in frustration. Sam was getting desperate too; he could feel his own climax approaching as Andy continued to stroke his aching cock.

"Condom?" he asked, breathlessly. Andy shook her head, and Sam looked at her, confused.

"I'm on the pill," she explained. "And I'm clean, I trust you are too?" Sam nodded. He was always very careful about using protection with his partners, but he wanted the full experience with Andy, not hindered by a piece of rubber. He positioned himself at her entrance, and slowly entered her up to the hilt, both moaning at the sensation. He gave them a moment to adjust, before starting a slow, steady rhythm, his arms resting either side of her head, looking deep into her eyes. His thrusts came faster as their pleasure increased. Sam could feel Andy's muscle clench around him, and he rubbed her clit to bring her over the edge with him. She closed her eyes as the first wave hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Open your eyes," Sam ordered; he wanted her to see him as she came undone beneath him. He wanted her to know this about more than sex; he wanted her to see the love in his eyes as he brought her over the edge. Her eyes opened, her pupils dilated, as jolts of pleasure rushed through her body. "Oh God, Sam," she screamed as her climax took her over. Hearing his name like that, Sam could last no longer, and he let go, pumping in short strokes as he emptied his seed into her, her name wrenched from his lips. He collapsed on top of her, propping himself up as not to crush her. When he went limp, he pulled out of her, rolling over onto his back. He pulled the covers over them, as Andy snuggled into his side, unable to keep the Cheshire-cat like grin off her face. She looked up to see Sam sporting an equally dazzling smile, dimples and all. She laid her hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating rapidly under her touch.

"Wow that was..." Andy said, trailing off when she couldn't think of a word to describe what was, probably, the best sex of her life.

As if reading her mind, Sam started spouting out suitable adjectives. "Marvelous, incredible, amazing, awe-inspiring..." Andy shut him up with a passionate kiss, which he eagerly responded to. Andy pulled away with a smirk, laying her head back on his shoulder, entwining her legs with his, wanting to stay as close to him as possible, and never let him go.

"So, are you looking forward to going back to work, wearing that uniform again?" Andy asked, drawing random circles on his chest with her fingers. She knew how much Sam enjoyed undercover work, but hoped that he also loved working the streets with her.

"Definitely. Why, did you miss me?"

"More than you know. I mean, Oliver's a great partner... but he's not you." Andy brought her hand to her mouth to hide a yawn, but it did not go unnoticed.

"Worn out?" Andy looked up at Sam, who was flashing his signature smirk. Andy swatted him on the chest.

"You wish, Swarek," Andy said, but another yawn begged to differ. Sam laughed and pulled the covers tight around them.

"Go to sleep, babe. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow." Sam kissed her on the forehead as her eyes closed. "I love you, Andy," Sam whispered, before closing his eyes as well. Just as he drifted off to sleep, he heard her faint reply, and a smile crept onto his face.

"I love you, too."

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><p>So, what did you think? Lemme know :)<p> 


	11. Epilogue

Hey guys! Well, here it is, the last chapter! Hope you have enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Thank-you for all your amazing reviews, I never expected to get over 100. Hope the ending satisfies you, and I hope to write more in the future. So, here it is...

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><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

The dim glow of the morning sunrise shined through the thin curtains as Sam opened his eyes. He looked around the room, confused. _This isn't my bed, this isn't my apartment. _He felt a heavy form lying beside him, and turned to see Andy curled under his arm, her head on his shoulder. All the memories of the previous night flooded back to him, bringing a smile to his face. _That was some night. _He looked down at Andy, peaceful in slumber, and tucked the stray hairs that had fallen across her face back behind her ear, his hand lingering on her cheek, stroking it gently with his thumb. He heard Andy sigh contently, snuggling deeper into his embrace. He turned to see the time flashing on the digital alarm clock sitting on the bedside table - 6.02am. He sighed; he knew they had to get up soon. Andy's shift started at eight, and he had a meeting with Frank to finalize his transfer back to the 15th before he started his. But, Andy looked so adorable, he didn't have the heart to wake her just let. So, he shuffled up the bed slightly, careful not to wake her, and leaned back against the headboard, content to just watch her sleep.

Fifteen minutes later, when he knew he could put it off no longer, he gently leaned down and whispered, "Andy? Sweetheart, wake up." He saw her stir, her eyes openly slowly. Her hand came up to gently press his nose. He chuckled, swatting her hand away. "What are you doing, babe?"

"Looking for the snooze button," she said groggily. Sam laughed. "What time is it anyway?"

"Around 6.15. I have to be at the station in an hour and a half for a meeting with Frank, and you start at 8, right?" Andy groaned; Sam was right, they had to get up now to stand a chance of being on time.

"Fine," Andy pouted, as she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "You wanna shower first, and I'll scrub up some breakfast?" Sam looked at her in disbelief. _Breakfast?_

"You actually eat breakfast? The amount of times you're late to parade, I didn't peg you for a morning person." Andy laughed at his surprised expression.

"Trust me, I'm not. But, you know as well as I do, that we never know when we'll get to eat when on the road, so I always try to make sure I start with something in my stomach besides coffee."

"Beautiful and smart - a deadly combination," Sam crooned. Andy blushed, and pulled him in for a quick kiss. He eagerly responded, pulling her close as he deepened the kiss. However, she pulled away before they could end up back in bed. She playfully pushed him away, watching his naked form walking towards the bathroom, enjoying the view. Just before he entered, Sam turned back, smirking at her. "You know, this would go a lot faster if you joined me." Andy matched his smirk. "It would save water too," he tried, but Andy just laughed and shook her head.

"As tempting as that sounds, that would definitely make us late." Andy climbed out of bed, pulling on her panties and Sam's T-shirt, inhaling his intoxicating scent, and sauntered off into the kitchen, swaying her hips a little more than usual because she knew Sam was watching.

"That woman's gonna be the death of me," Sam muttered, before heading into the shower.

Sam came into the kitchen, freshly showered, clad in only a towel, and sneaked up behind Andy, who was cooking bacon and eggs, and snaked his hands around her waist. She jumped with surprise, but then leaned into him as he attacked her neck, moaning as he sucked on her pulse point behind her ear. Andy hear sizzling coming from the pan, indicating that the food was done, so she pushed him away as she finished off the breakfast, scooping the bacon and eggs onto two plates. Sam picks up the plates, and they took their seats at the breakfast bar. Sam took a bite of his food, and moaned at the taste.

"And she can cook," he said, the words muffled by a mouthful of eggs. Andy scoffed, as she took a bite of her food. "You, my dear, are the perfect woman."

"Hardly. Besides, it's just breakfast, I'm no connoisseur."

"You're still perfect to me," Sam said, smiling when he saw her face turn pink. He kissed her cheek, as her mouth was still full. They finished up their breakfast, and Andy chucked the dishes in the sink to wash up later. She looked up at the clock.

"You better get dressed, or we'll never make it to your place before getting to the station."  
>"Why are we going to my place?"<p>

"Well, I'd assume you'd wanna change, unless you wanna show up at the station in the same clothes as you wore yesterday."

"Ok, first, I've been undercover for six weeks, so they don't know what I was wearing yesterday; secondly, I'll be changing into my uniform anyway and, finally, no-one is going to care, they all know about us now anyway. But, no that you mention it, I would like to just swing by and get a few things, check the place is still in one piece."

"You haven't been back yet?"

"Nah, I came straight here after my debriefing with Boyd." Andy raised an eyebrow. "I wanted to see you," Sam shrugged. He headed into the bedroom to change, but turned back after realizing something. "You're wearing my shirt." Andy looked down, saw that he was right, and blushed, before following him into the bedroom to pick up her clothes. After fifteen minutes, they were both ready to leave. They walked out, Andy securely locking the door behind her, and headed down to Sam's truck. They swung by Sam's place, before heading to the station.

Andy and Sam strolled, hand-in-hand into the precinct; no longer needing to hide their relationship. "Hey Sammy-boy!" Oliver called, heading over to the couple. "Good to see you back in uniform. Now, I don't have to put up with this one whining about you all day." Andy hit him playfully on the chest, and Sam chuckled. _Good to know she missed me. _Everyone came over to congratulate Sam on a successful operation, clapping him on the back or sharing brief man-hugs. A small crowd had formed around them, which parted when Luke approached. _Oh great, look who's here to cause trouble. _Andy swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. Luke walked straight up to Sam, and he flinched, expecting a punch, but instead Luke just held his hand out, for a handshake. Sam took it tentatively, confused at this sudden turn around.

"It's good to have you back, Sam. You were missed around here," Luke said, no hint of sarcasm in his voice; only sincerity. Luke had done a lot of soul searching whilst Sam was under, and had come to accept that him and Andy were not meant to be, and decided to be happy for her and Sam, to call a truce. "Take good care of her, Swarek, or you'll have me to answer to." Luke left, heading back to his office, leaving everybody a little stunned. The silence was broken by Frank.

"Alright, guys, party's over. You two ready to get to work?" Everyone dispersed. Sam left with Frank and Andy went into the locker room to change. Just another day on the job.

**THE END**


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